The car had barely rolled to a stop when Connor was out the passenger door and hopping anxiously from one foot to the other, waiting for his father to put the SUV in park and get out.

"Come ooonnn." he quietly implored as his father seemed to step out at the speed of a snail.

Adam threw him a glance, "Would you stop bouncing around like that? People are going to think you peed your pants or something."

"Aaahh," Connor sighed loudly, "what if they don't let us in when we get there? Hurry!"

Shaking his head, Adam told his son, "Would you just chill? They won't boot us out."

They made their way into the hospital in silence. Adam could see that something was on Connor's mind and that it had him on edge. He was on the verge of asking but thought better of it, not wanting to put his son under more pressure before he got to see his friend – if that's what they are now, Adam thought.

The elevator doors opened silently, and Connor all but flew out of them and down the corridor for Jude's room. When Adam finally caught up with him, Connor had already bumped into Jude's sister and the rest of his siblings.

"Um... hi," he had said shyly.

Mariana came over and gave him a hug, "Hey Connor, how are you?"

Adam saw his son blush at the embrace, but he returned it and responded, "I'm good."

Brandon and Jesus nodded in his direction, the older boy reaching out a friendly hand to shake in greeting.

"Hey buddy," Callie greeted, shaking his shoulder lightly. "Did Lena give you a call."

"She did." Adam answered for his son, "Miss Porter let me bring Connor here early from school."

"Is... is Jude awake?" Connor asked softly, "Like, for real?"

Mariana smiled, "Yea, he is." Connor felt his muscles relax somewhat with relief.

"Brandon, why don't you go and tell mom's that Connor and his Dad are here?" Callie suggested.

A few moments later, Stef and Lena had come out of Jude's room, closing the door behind them.

"Well hello, Connor." Stef said in a friendly tone, "It's good to see you again." She ruffled his hair, earning a small giggle from the nervous looking boy.

"Good to see you too, ma-am."

Narrowing her eyes menacingly, she retorted, "Connor Stevens, you call me that one more time, I'm gonna have to arrest you."

Lena laughed, moving forward, "Adam, it's good of you to come."

Adam stepped to meet her, taking her hand in greeting. "Of course, I don't think Connor would have had it any other way."

She smiled and turned to the young boy, "Connor, would you wanna see Jude now?"

He nodded, "Yes, please."

"Go on in," Callie urged when he hesitated at the door handle.

"Yea," added Stef, "he has been asking about you."

Adam had watched as the door to Jude's hospital door swung closed behind Connor. He was trying very hard to settle on what to think or feel about this new development in his, and his son's, life.

"So," he heard Lena say, "I could definitely do with a cup of coffee."

Stef agreed eagerly, "Sounds like a great idea, love."

Adam wasn't sure what to do, this was, if he was honest with himself, overwhelming. Fortunately, Lena came to his aid, "Adam?"

"Uh...yea?" he said, snapping out of his thoughts.

"Would you like to join us?" she asked him.

He frowned, contemplating the offer. "Oh, come on." Stef urged, "It might be a hospital cafeteria but coffee is coffee. And they have surprisingly good carrot cake."

"Sure. Yeah. That sounds like a plan." He accepted gratefully, "Might even give me a chance to... to ah.."

"Talk?" Lena enquired.

He smiled gratefully, "Yea."

"It's okay to speak openly to us, Adam," Stef assured him, "We know this can't be easy for you. Connor is a good kid, we'll do whatever we can to help you, help him."

"Thanks." he replied genuinely, falling into step with the women.

"How the hell is that fair?!" exclaimed Mariana, watching the adults round the corner to the elevator. "What do they think we are – decorative life models?"

Callie could only giggle and shake her head. Mariana was famous for her high maintenance tantrums.

"What are you on about now?" Jesus asked.

His twin looked at him in mock horror, "Umm... hello! They just walked off for coffee and carrot cake. What are we supposed to do?"

"it is pretty inconsiderate." Brandon chimed in, "First they kick us out of Jude's room and now abandon us in the hallway."

Jesus grimaced, "Gross. Who would put carrot into a cake?"

"Really," Brandon asked incredulously, turning to face his brother, "that's the first thought you just had?"

He was met with a blank stare, "Well... yea. Food is sort important, ya know?"

"Yea." Callie chimed in, trying hard to suppress her laughter, "Food and Jesus-time."

"When are you going to stop ragging on me for that?!" Jesus cried exasperatedly, "Besides, food is way more important than... ooohhh."

Brandon slapped his palm to his forehead, amazed at his brother's slow leap to the realisation that they were teasing him.

Mariana threw her hands up in frustration, "What did Lexi even see in you?!"

"These!" Jesus said, proudly flexing his arms to show off his well toned biceps.

Callie and Brandon could no longer contain their laughter. Mariana looked her brother up and down, "There is no way you and I are related," she decided, "nope, there must have been an accident with the paper work."

"Oh yea? Well maybe that mistake was..."

"Hey! You guys, come on." Callie interrupted the sibling war, "it's not that bad. So they left us alone for a while, it's not like they are never coming back."

Brandon asked, "Sure. But what are we meant to do in the mean time?"

"How about we twiddle our thumbs?" Jesus suggested sarcastically, earning a smack across the shoulder from his sister.

"Actually," said Callie, "there's a gift shop in the main lobby. I saw it when we came in yesterday."

Mariana pursed her lips, "Umm... hospital gift shops are so cliché."

"Look at you," Brandon chirped, "using such fancy words in the middle of the afternoon."

"Do not even start with me right now." She warned, pointing an accusing finger in his direction.

Callie smirked, raising an eyebrow, "Normally, I'd totally agree with you, Mari, but this one has a massive stuffed animal section and I was thinking perhaps we could find a..."

"Oh my god! Yes!" the other girl squealed excitedly, "That would be perfect."

Callie smiled, "It's okay, you don't have to say it, I'm a genius, I know."

"We have to go. Like right now."

Jesus looked at his sisters, more confused than before, "Go to what now?"

"Yea," Brandon said, "What so important at the gift shop?"

Without another second, both girls turned from the hospital room and started down the corridor to the elevator.

Jesus and Brandon stood bewildered before they were rather impolitely summoned by their sassy sister.

Whistling over her shoulder Mariana called back to them, "Foster, and other Foster! Here boys!"

Lena and Adam took seats at a small table on the outside patio while Stef placed their order at the cafeteria counter.

"I can't imagine it was easy for you to hear Connor coming out under these sort of circumstances." Lena said gently.

Releasing a deep breath, Adam replied, "It was huge. The shock I mean." Lena nodded, encouraging him to continue as Stef sat down as well.

"Let me tell you first that I was way outta line here that night." He admitted softly, avoiding their gazes, "I should not have gone off the rails at Connor, or... or you like that. I'm sorry."

Stef smiled, reaching to grasp his hand briefly, "Thank you for that, we accept your apology, of course."

"And you have nothing to be embarrassed about or ashamed of." Lena spoke up, "It can be tough, hearing that your child is gay, especially for a father."

Adam nodded, "It's just that... there were.. I had all these hopes for him, ya know?" Stef and Lena nodded. "And when he said it I saw all those things in the future just vanish."

"When I came out to my dad," Stef said, comforted as Lena took her hand, "he didn't approve at all. And for months we didn't speak. It took years to get our relationship functional again. But til the day he died, he didn't approve of who I was."

"I'm really sorry to hear that," Adam said, "I had no idea. And I was so close to having that same sort of reaction." He shuddered at the thought.

They paused as the waitress brought their order. Adam looked taken aback at the generous slice of carrot cake that was placed before him. "Wow. You ladies were not kidding."

Lena laughed, "When it comes to carrot cake, Stef never jokes."

"Hey, that is not fair." Stef said in mock defense, "It's the perfect combination of cake and vegetables!" This earned her a chuckle from the other adults.

"I have to say, Adam," Lena mentioned after a few moments of companionable silence, "I noticed that Connor looked a lot more comfortable around you when you came in."

He nodded, swallowing another bit of carrot cake, "I guess you could say we had a breakthrough over the weekend."

"Oh really?" Stef asked, interested.

"Yea," Adam said looking down at his plate, "when we got home from here he went straight for the front door and when I caught up with him, he was expecting me to flip out and hit him."

Stef and Lena shared a look.

"I didn't. Hit him that is." Adam explained, "I uh... I don't want to be that kind of father anymore."

Lena smiled softly, "That's a positive step."

He looked grateful for her encouragement. "He came down to breakfast the next day all set for an argument. But I think it went sorta well. We have been trying to adjust ever since."

"Well clearly you are doing something right." Stef told him.

"I hope so." Adam said, "I feel really outta my depth here and don't know how to react sometimes."

"Well," Lena said, reaching into her bag, "I took the liberty of writing this down for you earlier. I sort of anticipated that you would come with Connor."

Adam accepted a small sheet of paper from her, "What is this?" he asked, turning it over and scanning the words.

"It's my private cell number – you can call me anytime you need to talk or have questions-," she replied, "as well as a few books, websites and movies that you should check out."

Adam gulped, unsettled at the prospect.

"Just remember," Stef added, "it's just as important for Connor that you be aware and able to talk with him when he needs it. These resources can help you get to that point."

Nodding, the older man smiled at them in turn, grateful for their support.

"W-what did he say?" Jude asked.

Connor blinked, not sure what he meant, "What did who say?"

"Your dad. When you told him?"

"Oh, uh.." Connor thought back to the confrontation, "he sorta freaked out. I thought for sure he was going to hit me again."

Jude's eyes darkened at this, "He didn't though, right?"

"No." Connor answered, "you mom's heard our argument and came out into the corridor."

"That's good, I don't think I could have handled it anymore if he hit you."

Connor reached out and, without thinking, took his hand, "He didn't. Your mom's being there and knowing that you were in the operating room gave me the courage to stand up to him finally."

Jude looked at his hand in Connor's he felt warm and his palm tingled, he enjoyed holding Connor's hand, and this was so much better than in the cinema when they had linked pinkies in secret. Then Jude remembered, "What about Daria?"

"I told her yesterday."

"Is she really mad?" the smaller boy asked.

Connor shook his head, "No. She was actually pretty cool about it. I mean, I led her on – I led you on too – but she understood. A little upset though."

He replayed the images from this morning in his mind. They were very clear. He could almost feel the thud when he backed Blake into the lockers. It had all seemed surreal but he could remember feeling afraid and furious at the same time.

His anger was primarily because they had insulted Jude. He didn't care that they had insulted him for being gay.

Seeing that Connor looked troubled, Jude laced his fingers with the other's boys and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. Connor blushed and smiled so gently it made Jude's heart skip a beat.

"It will be okay, you know." Jude said soothingly.

Connor nodded and brushed his thumb over the back of Jude's palm. When he said it, the older boy knew he could believe it.

"Sonofabitch!" Brandon exclaimed as he started at the numerous shelves of creatures, "How many more stuffed toys could one give store possibly have in stock?"

Jesus shuddered, "I'm with ya, bro! And who thinks of some of these things?"

"Would you two quit your complaining?" Mariana warned, "It's really not that bad."

"Oh yea?" Jesus argued, "Then what the hell is this?" He held up an odd looking stuffed animal.

Callie came over and inspected the toy, "Okay, yea even I have to agree that one is a bit out there."

"A bit?" countered Brandon, "it looks like a Gummy Bear turned into a serial killer."

"You two are so dramatic sometimes!" Mariana scolded, "Just go look at the magazines and candy shelves while Callie and I handle the important business."

Throwing his hands up in despair, Jesus asked, "What are you looking for anyways?"

Mariana smiled mischievously, "Don't you worry about that. We got this."

They had been browsing magazines and carefully examining all the odd sorts of candy in the store for quite some time when they were startled by the squeals coming from the stuffed animal shelves. They rushed over, half expecting to find their sisters being held hostage by an evil incarnation of Barney.

"What is it?" Brandon asked.

Jesus right behind him was concerned, "Are you alright?"

Callie and Mariana looked to one another before gazing at the boys in amusement, "Of course we are."

"We found exactly what we were looking for," Callie informed them, "Mariana show them."

Dutifully, she held up a particular toy for the boys to see, "Ohhhh no. Not that!" they chorused as one.

Mariana smiled, "It's perfect."

"Does this bother you?" he asked quietly.

Jude had been silent for a few minutes, gazing at the gentle stroking movements of Connor's thumb across his hand.

"Jude?"

"Hmmm," came the reply, a light blush creeping into the injured boy's cheeks.

"I asked if... if this bothers you?"

Jude smiled, Connor could watch that smile all day and be perfectly content, "No. Why would you think that?"

"Things are different now." He replied simply.

Jude looked curious, "What do you mean?"

"I told you that I like... like you." His heart was beating a mile a minute in his chest, this was the part he was most nervous for, he didn't know what he would do if Jude did not feel the same way as him.

The smile hadn't left Jude's face when he looked up at Connor shyly and said, "I like-like you too."

Connor breathed a sigh of relief. "Does that mean that you are also... are you gay?"

The smaller boy cocked his head sideways in thought, Connors thumb froze mid-stroke. Had he pushed to fast? Was that the wrong question?

"I don't know." was the simple response.

He felt his heart drop and it must have shown on his face because the next second, Jude was running a thumb across his knuckles. Connor looked up and was met by a friendly pair of eyes looking at him, "It doesn't mean that I don't feel the same way about you. I just... I don't wanna be in a box."

"What do you mean?" Connor asked tentatively.

"My whole life," Jude answered seriously, "I've always been put in a box – the kid with the dead mom, the foster kid, ya know – and I just... I wanna be Jude for a while."

"I understand," said Connor, relieved that Jude had not rejected him. Not yet, anyway – he thought.

"When did you know?" Jude asked him.

He looked up, uncertain of the other boy's meaning, "When did I know what?"

"That you liked me?"

Connor smiled, blushing now too, "I've always liked you, Jude. But it was when we... when I kissed you in the tent that I realised how much I really liked you."

"That was an awkward moment." Jude said, a hint of joking in his voice.

"I don't know about that," Connor spoke softly, looking at Jude, "I liked kissing you."

Jude could feel himself blushing and was sure his face must look like a tomato. Connor raised his free hand and lightly ran his fingers down Jude's cheek, "You look adorable when you're blushing."

The smaller boy leaned into the touch of Connor's hand against his skin. "You can't just say those kind of things and not expect me to blush." Jude told him.

Connor bit his bottom lip and shifted his jaw from side to side. Jude knew he did this when he was nervous or unsure of himself.

Finally, Connor spoke, "I could keep saying them, you know. And doing these things too, if... if you..."

"If I, what?" Jude asked, his cheek tingling under Connors gentle touch.

"Jude Adams Foster," Connor spoke, his voice near breaking when he looked into the boy's eyes, "will you be my boyfriend?"

Jude drew in a breath and held his gaze for moment. Connor could barely contain his clamouring nerves and was about to lose all hope when Jude whispered;

"Yes."