"MOM" Jude practically yelled as he ran to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her tight.
"Hi baby." Stef said as she held him close though her eyes never left Lena, knowing that she'd be in trouble.
Stef could see the relief in Lena's eyes along with the anger and fear she had felt all day. She glanced around the room and noticed Mike, Sharon and Roberts all sitting around and instantly looked away. She had known that she would worry everyone but she was so angry and so lost that she just desperately needed some time alone to figure things out.
"Where were you?" Brandon asked as he got up to hug his mom as well.
"We were so freaked out." Jesus added, following his brother.
"You just left." Mariana said as she too went to her.
"I'm sorry." Stef finally said. "I really just needed some space." She could see that they all had something to say about it but she stopped them. "I know that's not an excuse but I really didn't want to do or say something that I would later regret." Stef said as she walked over to Lena who hadn't moved from her place on the window seat.
Stef had noticed the small smile on Callie's face when she saw Stef standing on the steps leading to the kitchen but the moment she said her last line the smile disappeared and fear filled her eyes.
"You took off Stef." Lena finally said when Stef reached her. "You just disappeared and you went to New Mexico."
Stef looked surprised that Lena knew where she was.
"Did you not think we'd try to find you?" Lena asked as she noticed the surprise on Stef's face. "Do you even realize what you put us all through?"
Stef looked around at all their faces, feeling guilty at putting her family through this. She could see the worry and anger on all their faces though relief at the fact that she was finally back also clear. She noticed Mike sitting, looking a little sympathetically at her and Roberts, like she had a thing or two to say about Stef's whereabouts. Then she glanced at her mother, sitting there with her arm around Jude, looking at her with disappointment and finally she glanced at her children, all relieved to see her but hurt that she just took off.
Stef closed her eyes as she tried to keep from crying before turning back to Lena. "I'm so sorry love." She said, full of emotion. "I never meant to hurt you, you know that I'll always come back."
"I do know that Stef." Lena interrupted. "I know that you'll always come back provided you can come back. We had no idea what happened to you."
"It all just got too much for me and I needed some time to just be by myself and clear my head." Stef explained. There was a lot more she wanted to explain to Lena but she didn't want to do it here, in front of everyone.
"You never even called or messaged." Lena accused her. "You could have just sent me a text to say that you were okay and just needed a day."
"I know love, I'm sorry." Stef said again. "I was so angry."
Lena understood that Stef couldn't explain further, not in front of the kids so she let it go for now. "What made you go to New Mexico?" Lena asked, still unable to believe that that's where Stef was.
"I just drove." Stef said. "I got on the freeway and drove until I got too tired to drive any longer. I realized I'd gotten to Albuquerque and stopped at a motel for some sleep, grabbed some lunch at a diner and headed straight back."
"But you never called." Lena said again, so frustrated that Stef hadn't even informed her what was going on.
"I know." Was all Stef said, because there wasn't much else she could say. She'd already said sorry and would about a thousand more times in the coming weeks but for right now she just let Lena be angry - let her get it out.
There was a silence over the room for a few moments and Roberts cleared her throat until she had Stef's attention.
"That was a foolish decision Foster." Roberts said. "You had your family and the department worried about you. We pulled out every stop to trace you."
"I know Captain, I apologize." Stef said. "I appreciate the lengths you went through to make sure I was okay."
"I'd like to see you in my office at eleven tomorrow morning." Roberts said before turning to Lena. "I'll be heading home now. Let me know if there's anything I can do for you."
"Thank you." Lena said. "And thank you for all your help." She went to hug the woman her wife looked up to.
"My pleasure." Roberts said before saying goodbye to Sharon, Mike and the kids and heading out.
"I'll head home too." Mike said. He had a lot to say to Stef but he knew it could wait until tomorrow. Right now she needed to fix things with her family.
Once again Stef, Lena and Sharon thanked Mike for his help and he gave Brandon a quick hug before heading out the door leaving the family alone.
Sharon took this as her opportunity to hug her daughter. Lena watched as Sharon held Stef tight and realized for the first time just how scared Sharon must have been as well though she's been nothing but strong for the family. Lena's gaze drifted to Stef and for the first time she noticed just how tired and worn she looked. She had been driving for almost twenty hours straight and it was almost midnight now - Stef had been gone for twenty-seven hours. Lena felt tears well up at the thought that Stef felt she had to leave instead of coming to her and talking things out. She knew she was partly to blame but still, Stef had no right to put her through this.
"Alright guys, it's late and you've got school tomorrow." Lena said, turning her attention to the four kids sitting at the table. "Mom's home now and you need to head to bed." She could see that the children wanted to protest but she raised a hand to stop them. "We'll all talk about this tomorrow after school but for now, bed time."
Reluctantly the kids climbed the stairs with Sharon in tow. She was going to have Brandon's room while Brandon slept in a sleeping bag in the boy's room.
Once the kids were gone Stef glanced at the one child still sitting silently, her gaze on her hands. She then looked back at Lena for some information on Callie.
"She's sat there all day." Lena whispered. "She hasn't eaten a thing or said a word. She did have two glasses of juice though."
Once again Stef glanced sadly at the teenager. Something was very wrong and Stef wished there was something she could do to help her - that was why she'd left in the first place. Just like Sharon though, Stef was most angry with herself for not being able to help Callie. Not once had she though that they'd made a mistake taking Callie in or trying to adopt her but she began to doubt her own abilities as a mother to the girl - could she be all that Callie needed her to be? The drive had helped clear Stef's mind and while she hadn't come to any constructive conclusions she knew that Callie was already right where she belonged.
Stef finally pulled Lena in for a hug. She felt the woman tense slightly but then relax into the embrace as she finally let the tears she'd been holding back fall. Stef held Lena as she cried into her shoulder.
"I'm sorry love." She whispered again. "I love you so much."
"I love you too." Lena said desperately, hoping Stef would understand that that's exactly why she'd been so worried.
Stef kissed Lena then, so passionately and so fiercely - desperate to do more - to reach out and touch her, feel her, and hating the fact that their daughter was still sitting right behind them. Stef continued to kiss Lena until she finally stopped crying. She was just on the border of inappropriate when she finally pulled away.
Both women knew that they needed to talk but first Stef had to deal with Callie - she hadn't had a thing to eat all day and Stef needed to do something about that.
"I'll see you upstairs." Lena said as she kissed Stef one more time, glanced at Callie and then headed upstairs leaving Stef and Callie alone to stare at each other.
