OK guys - I have finished tinkering with Episode 3 so I will begin to post it. I have added some flashbacks to kind of make it a little deeper so I'm afraid it's got a bit longer! This is gonna be 5 chapters and it's quite an emotional one I guess but I hope I've done it OK. The first chapter is pretty much pure fluff though as the next few are pretty heavy as it looks into more of Stef and Mike's past and Kasey's relationship with Mike. Also quite a interesting one for Jude and the stress of the test for him.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think! Thanks to Mea23 for reading not only the first time but then again when I had my mini freak out and decided to start adding things in.
"Looks like Brandon needed that cold shower this morning..." Kasey whispered to Callie, snapping her attention away from the display Brandon and Talya were engaged in outside the classroom window.
Callie let out a small smirk. She had been with the Fosters for a week now and the atmosphere had definitely improved since the difficulties they had faced the week before. She would be settling in, if she dared to say it.
"He can do better if you ask me." Cooper added under his breath winding his neck out towards Kasey's ear.
"Don't be mean, she can have her moments but she's not all bad."
Kasey tried to defend Talya from Cooper's bitchiness, more to reprimand Cooper than protect Talya.
"How long have they been together?" Callie asked curiously as the two friends shrugged.
"Not quite a year" Kasey thought back.
"She was with L'Oreal over there for a bit in freshman year." Copper added flicking his head towards the shaggy haired boy who always seemed slightly detached
"OK - settle down, folks. Sorry I'm late." Timothy called the class to order as he entered.
"Late night?" Cooper asked suspiciously with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes actually - trying to decipher your last paper, Cooper." he responded as Kasey smirked.
"Today we are going to be talking about guilt."
"Doesn't sound like marking papers was all he was up to..." Kasey whispered as Timothy caught her eye.
"Good - a volunteer. Wanna share something you have felt guilty about, Kasey?" he asked staring her down.
She paused for a moment.
"I once got a dent in my Mom's car once." she admitted. "I felt pretty bad about that." she said almost instantly.
"OK - but did you feel bad because you were going to get into trouble or because you felt bad you had done something wrong?" he probed. She shrugged. "The latter when my Mom blamed my other Mom and the former when I came clean and they got hold of me..." she raised her eyebrows as Cooper laughed.
"Alright - but what about something you've felt bad about, not because you got into trouble but because you saw it in a different light. Something you would have done differently."
She flickered a look at Callie.
"I've judged people too quickly in the past." Callie threw her a side glance before looking down slightly embarrassed.
"Good - sometimes guilt is induced from something originally innocent. As we gain more knowledge we look back and regret what we previously would have thought of as something reasonable. With hindsight."
He continued the lesson and assigned a task to fill a journal of an experience that had made them feel guilty. After some reading of the material the bell rang.
"This is insane - as if no-one is going to read it. It's asking for trouble!" Cooper voiced his opinion as they left the classroom.
"Why would anyone want to snoop into your sordid past, Coop? They could just go on your Facebook page."
"Oh please. Timothy's just angling for some juicy gossip. I would!" he admitted. Kasey turned to him with a look.
"Don't be so invasive! Snooping like that is not cool."
"Did you not just get in trouble for that like last week?" Callie questioned, slightly shocked.
"Eavesdropping is not the same as snooping. I'd never listen into something super private - if the conversation is being had in the house you have to know that there's a chance someone will hear you. If it's sensitive I wouldn't dream of listening - or of reading someone's private thoughts."
"Uh-huh, pot meet kettle." Copper commented smugly.
"Well either way..." Kasey glared at him, "those days are behind me."
"Yeah - 'cause you finally got your ass kicked." Cooper laughed as Kasey clipped him with her crutch.
"You really think he'll read them?" Callie asked nervously.
"Why? Dark tales of Juvie?" Cooper whispered suspiciously before another clip from Kasey's crutch - this time it was hard enough to make him hop.
"Ignore him - he's just stirring because his Mom won't let him watch TV after 9 and he is desperate for excitement."
"I can too watch TV!" he shot back. " I just have to ask permission." he added quietly as Kasey pinched his cheek and her batted her away. Cooper's Mom had always been extremely strict and he extremely obedient - as long as she wasn't there to see otherwise. "Gotta head out - see you later." he quipped before bounding off. They carried on walking and passed the long haired boy from their class as he put his books in his locker. Kasey noticed the lingering smile he gave Callie as they passed.
Kasey turned to her and spotted the small grin..
"Guilty thoughts?" She asked to Callie's surprise.
"Why would you say that?" She asked, nervously as Kasey shrugged before moving off.
Mariana watched as Lena reprimanded Jesus for playing volleyball during his punishment stint. She felt bad for his being in this situation but was also becoming increasingly concerned about the time he was spending with her best friend. There had been a lingering tension between the two of them anyway since the pill fiasco but it was more manifesting in silence rather than anything else.
As Lena departed, a dejected Jesus threw his volleyball back towards his teammates and headed towards the school. He was getting so sick of the inside of ISS and he hadn't even done half his time. Mariana scurried over to him, eyeing another opportunity to try and fish for information.
"What did Mom have to say?" she asked.
"Other than still yelling at me?" he huffed resentfully. "Not much."
She looked down to the floor before he got ahead and quickly caught up again.
"I can talk to her if you like..." she offered.
Jesus looked to her for a moment. "What, confess?" he asked doubtfully.
"No just...I don't know." Her head drooped as he finally broke his stride feeling a twang of pity.
"Look I'm doing this now, I knew what it would mean. Just don't worry about it." he tried to sound as compassionate as his frustration would let him. She gave him a small smile before her attention flicked back.
"So...I'm gonna go home with Lexi for a little while before dinner..." she tested the waters for a reaction.
He looked at her, briefly interested, before shrugging his shoulders.
"Good for you." he finally replied before turning off. The name sent a tingling down his spine but he didn't want Mariana to see that. He smiled to himself. His excitement for tomorrow replaced any jealousy that it wouldn't be him that got to see her tonight.
Jesus sat out the rest of his short afternoon and waited for Lena outside her office as she sat in with the principal.
Finally, Kasey emerged from around the corner.
Her heart dropped a little seeing him. They had been on strange terms the last few days. She hadn't been used to Jesus hiding things from her and she hadn't quite forgiven him for the trouble he was in. He had become very sheepish around her.
"You getting a lift back too?" she asked making small talk.
"Yeah - Mom caught me playing volleyball and she wanted to make sure I went straight home." he murmured.
They sat in silence for a few more moments, occasionally checking for signs of life from Lena who looked deeply engrossed in whatever it was she and Sanchez were discussing.
They could be out here for a while. It was the first time they had been forced together for any period of time since and the pressure was getting to Jesus.
"I didn't mean for this to happen you know." he finally broke the cool silence as his sister looked up. He was now pacing the floor.
She let it hang for a moment.
"What? You didn't mean to get caught or you didn't mean for your pills to fall from your hands into Kelsey's?"
He sighed. He wished he could tell her the truth but he knew Kasey would urge him or Mariana to come clean. She was so protective of him. He would rather the issue was dropped now that Ana was out of the picture. He hadn't wanted her involved before when she would be at risk of being sucked in and he definitely didn't want her to be now.
"Either. I was off the pills when Kelsey asked me - my head was screwed up and I wasn't thinking straight. Everything had just got so on top of me."
She took a deep breath. He had been under huge amounts of pressure. She knew how much the thought of Ana coming back into their lives had affected him and thought back across all of the strange behaviour. She hadn't noticed anything too out of character over the length of time that this had been happening, but a few things came to mind. Maybe it had just been incremental and he had been very good at hiding it.
"Is that why you and Mariana were fighting the other night?" she asked, finally softening.
"Yeah..." he partially lied."I guess she was mad at me too." he finally sat down and rested his chin on his clasped hands. He looked so sorrowful Kasey couldn't keep up the cold shoulder.
"Well at least Moms went easy on you." she broke. "Though it was mortally stupid." she nudged him as a smile finally crept across her face. Relief flooded down through his chest and he smiled.
"I'm sorry I got you in trouble too. If I'd have known Kelsey would try and cover for me at Callie's expense..."
"That's sorted now." Kasey folded her arms in a subconscious defense of her own actions. "If anything it worked in everyone's favour. A wake up call for all of us." Kasey's guilt once again seeped through and finally Lena's door clicked open.
Sanchez looked down at them.
"I hope you two are just waiting for pick-up. You are on thin ice as it is." she directed at Jesus.
"That's why he's got a ticket for the delinquent-mobile with me." Kasey chipped in as Lena came out behind, locking the door.
"Why? Are you in trouble again too?" Sanchez asked accusingly. Kasey very rarely did anything bad enough to see the principal but she knew she was aware of her mischief rate at home.
"No I just need the taxi." she assured her.
"When you get that cast off you're in debt about 50 trips - I hope you realise that." Lena quipped as the two kids got up.
"You'd be more sympathetic wouldn't you, Principal? I bet you had a scrape or two back in your wild days, pre-pant suit." Kasey chanced a dig, if anything to make Jesus laugh a little. Lena threw her a look as Principal Sanchez turned, brazen. She wasn't known for her sense of humour.
"I'll see you all tomorrow." she replied firmly, clearly not glorifying the comment with a response.
"You're impossible." Lena whispered once her boss was definitely out of ear shot, but she couldn't help sneak a smile. Sanchez was not in her good books right now after the news she had given earlier her about Jude.
Kasey shrugged. "What? I'm just trying to induce some nostalgia from her glory days as the ice princess before she became the queen."
Lena shook her head unable to suppress a laugh. "You're going to get one of us in serious trouble with that mouth. Come on, let's get home."
She spared a look at Jesus who was staying out of the way and lingering a few steps behind. "Both of you, come on." she added gently as they headed to the car.
"Well lookie here! It's the grounded contingent!" Stef chirped as the rest of her family emerged. Brandon was with his Dad and the rest were scattered throughout the house.
"Hey Mom." Jesus smiled before disappearing into the hallway.
"Wait - I'm not grounded!" Kasey protested before a look of fear came across her. "Am I?" she asked nervously, suddenly worried about what may have been uncovered.
Stef smiled. "No, but seeing as by the time you get anywhere you have to be back for curfew I wouldn't say your social life is bursting at the seams."
Kasey rolled her eyes. "When I get out of this cast I'm gonna be out every night." she threatened as Lena laughed.
"If you get our permission." she responded.
Kasey turned her head away, aloof. "I won't need your permission." she replied with a mocking act of defiance.
Stef put her hand on her daughter's forehead and her face dropped.
"I was worried about this. The cast is cutting of the blood supply to her brain." she gripped her tighter as Kasey tried to wriggle out.
"Oh my baby! She's so disorientated!" Stef cried in a panic as Kasey finally broke free and batted her off.
"She was certainly missing a cell or two when she decided to try and humour the Dragon Lady."
"The Dragon Lady?" Kasey laughed. "I get yelled at for trying to get her to reminisce about her youth and you're allowed to call her 'The Dragon Lady'?" she beamed in disbelief as Lena raised her eyebrows smugly.
"Oh honey, don't try and crack jokes with that woman. Trust me - I've made enough faculty dinners awkward to learn that the hard way." Stef laughed. "What did you say?"
"I just alluded to her early days when she may or may not have been rebellious."
"'Pre-pantsuit' was the exact term, I believe." Lena recounted as Stef laughed again.
"It's a miracle you're not in her office more often you know."
"Only because she always seems to be in mine." Lena chimed in as Kasey looked up innocently.
"Speaking of which..." she added looking seriously at Stef and remembering the news she had about Jude.
Kasey looked between them as Stef's face dropped.
"What? Is Mom getting sent to your office?" Kasey observed with mock seriousness as they eventually turned to her.
"Kase..." Stef turned to her bluntly.
"Remember our talk last week?"
"Has Lena found out what you confessed to me?" she whispered with horror as Stef whipped her gently with the towel in her hand, un-amused by the joke.
"Your Mom and I need to have a catch up." Stef hinted firmly with a soft gravel.
Kasey looked between them again before eventually deciding she'd tortured them long enough.
"Fine, fine." she began her slow journey out of the room.
"You can get started, I'm on my -"
"The grounding threat from last week still stands..." Stef reminded her as Kasey's mouth shut and her speed quickened.
"What's this about?" Stef asked once Kasey had descended to the basement. Lena rubbed one of her arms with her other hand trying to figure out the best phrasing.
"So Sanchez came to see me today and it seems the parent board are asking questions about Jude."
"Jude? What on earth could that doodlebug do to the parent board?" Stef asked, genuinely oblivious.
"It seems there are grumblings about how a kid with such a low grade level could hop the list."
"You're kidding me? God, some people have no ounce of compassion." anger quickly began to replace Stef's jokey front.
"It's funding and politics, but bottom line: if he doesn't pass the entrance math exam on Friday he's gonna be removed."
"Friday?" Stef gasped trying to keep her voice down. "The poor kid has barely been here a week!"
Lena shrugged. "Karina was unbending. I'm gonna try and catch him up this week but I don't think there's anything else we can do."
Stef shook her head. "You told them yet?"
"I think I'll wait till after dinner. I don't want to panic them." Stef looked at her nervously as Lena rubbed her arm. "We'll get him through it - he just needs a 65." Stef breathed deeply before nodding and giving her a kiss.
"Hey I'm not gonna be an accessory!" Kasey commented, seeing Jesus hunched over her laptop as she returned to her room.
"One message, I swear."
"How did you even get in? I have a password."
"Yeah - the same one for like the last 3 years." He teased, moving off the chair as she drew closer. He clicked send and tried to shut it but Kasey whipped her crutch up to impede it.
"Are you hiding something from me?" She asked through a smile as she looked. "Oh my God - is there something happening between you and -"
"Shh! There isn't. We're just friends."
Kasey laughed trying to get the message history.
"I thought you weren't allowed to snoop anymore!" He complained fighting her to log out.
"And you're not allowed on a computer - how long has this been going on for?" She asked as she gave up her fight and he succeeded in clicking the logout button.
"It isn't - we just...I dunno, we're just getting to know each other a little better."
"You dark horse - does Mariana know?"
He looked down nervously.
"I get it." She replied with a smirk.
"Hey - young man, you better not be trying to get online." Stef scolded appearing at the door. "And you better not be letting him!" She ordered looking at Kasey.
"He's not, don't worry." They both looked at her innocently.
"Good - because I will take away any computer or phone he uses whether it's his or not."
"I know, I know." Kasey defended. "We were just catching up."
"Well I'm glad you're friends again - " Stef patted Jesus' arm. It was always obvious when Kasey and Jesus had fallen out. They exchanged a warm look that made Stef smiled.
"Anyway, dinner's ready so come on up." Stef made her way back up.
"This isn't over you know - I want details." She whispered before Jesus cleared his throat to silence her as Stef turned with a suspicious look.
Next Chapter Preview: The fight with Brandon causes Stef to get lost in her past.
Stef's head buzzed as she hunched over the kitchen table. She was glad that the dishes had been done and there were no kids still around to see her so vulnerable. Fears of a decade ago flooded her mind. It twisted and turned and the fights of worse times gone by drowned out all else. She was projected back to the aftermath of a fight many years before.
"I can't do this, Lena - I can't face it. I can't face losing them" Stef paced the living room.
"So what, exactly?" Lena caught her in her stride and gripped her shoulders. "You want to go back? Is that what you're trying to say here, Stef? You came out - you can't go back in the closet - the cat is out of the bag."
