Chapter 10: Because I Love Her

I got in the car, barely avoiding the low ceiling, and anxious to get to the police station. My feet seemed to tap all by themselves and my entire body was rigid, but still shivering like a Chihuahua. Brandon lay a hand on my thigh, which I'm sure was an attempt to console me, but my brain was a livewire of events and words and feelings that I didn't know how to control.

It was a relief that I didn't have to drive there, because I was still frazzled by the proposal, under the tree that I had known since I was a young girl, but hadn't realised its significance till now.

I had played there ever since I could remember, my "dad" would take me out there on the days that mom had to do the housework, and I suppose that Brandon, Jesus and Mariana were the kids that I was never allowed to associate with. He said it was because they weren't safe to play around, now I know that he probably only took me there so that he could spy on Stef or Mike, whoever was playing the babysitter for the day.

Within the month, I could be living with my real dad, a man that I had no memories of, and no knowledge about. The entire situation scared me, but I wasn't one to complain about something that could potentially give me another home and a shot at a future with Brandon.

A future with the only person that had ever loved me even more because I told him the truth. I knew that Stef and Lena loved Jude and me, and their love had remained uncontaminated with after I told them about my even more sordid past.

Now that there was a small silver band slipped around my finger, I felt invincible, I felt at home. I knew that when school came around, then I would have to pull up my façade once again, but as far as being with the Fosters, I could be completely myself and they would be none the wiser. A benefit on my behalf, because then I could bear my promise ring openly with only a mention of it previously belonging to my mother.

The engine started and the wheels rolled on top of the gravel, and we hastily drove towards the Police Office that belonged to Stef's precinct. The highway followed suit after we reached the end of the gravel stretch, and we were cruising along in the slightly rainy afternoon.

We were parked in the lot within a matter of minutes, and I stared at the big stone building in fear. As soon as I stepped foot in that building, it was going to end like every other time I had stepped foot in a Police building. I would walk in with people who were supposed to be my guardians, and leave with Bill, and sometimes I was the lucky winner of the golden ticket that sent me straight to Juvie.

This time I had Brandon, but in the end game, he couldn't end the world of hurt that was coming for Jude and me. I wasn't lucky, and I prayed that he wouldn't realize that until we were stuck together for good.

He sensed my tension and gave my thigh a quick squeeze before walking around and practically pulling me out of the car.

Upon our entrance we were greeted by members of the police department that seemed to know Brandon like he was their own family, I, however, was greeted with warm welcomes of, "You must be Callie" and "Oh, you're Stef's new daughter!"

Then an officer that went by the name 'Buttons' guided us to the second floor, where Stef's new office sat in a corner. I guided myself around all the tables and desks and Brandon did the same behind me as we walked towards them.

Lena rushed towards me with an embrace and Stef smiled at me from where she was talking with a tall dark-skinned woman who started towards me.

"Callie Jacobs. I presume?"

"Uh, yeah, that's me" I furrowed my brow, was this the woman who was going to be asking me some questions? "What exactly are we going to do here?"

"Well, Callie" Her smile was slightly forced, and apparently she didn't like my question, "Today we will be taking some blood samples for DNA testing, and asking you a few questions about the last few years"

I nodded and she motioned another woman forwards, she was carrying two empty vials and a syringe, and a name tag that spelled 'Kim Harvey'.

She smiled at me briefly before wrapping a rubber rope around my upper arm and placing a needle into one of the bulging veins, with a vial catching all the blood.

The process was done swiftly, and at the end she slipped the vials into her briefcase and stuck a Band-Aid on my arm.

Before I realized what was happening, the floor was moving beneath my feet in a consistent blur with the desks passing us by. Stef had whisked me and Brandon into a handicap bathroom across the precincts and was staring us down.

"What the hell is going on here?" she questioned us fiercely, a manicured fingernail jabbing into Brandon's chest.

"Ouch, mom, what are you doing?" He backed away from the poking finger, "why did you pull us in here?"

I held my spot as Stef gave Brandon such a loaded glare that I was shocked he didn't cower away. The blonde's eyes had transformed, they seemed darker, like a shadow had been cast over them.

"Why the hell is Callie wearing that ring?" she asked, and we glanced at each other, both of us with a look of defeat on our faces.

"Callie is wearing that ring because I promised that one day I would marry her, mom"

"Why the hell would you do that?" she barked, "and how long has this been going on?"

"I did it because I love her mom!" Brandon answered with equal passion, "And we've only been together for a few weeks"

"Weeks! Brandon I can't believe that you let this happen, I trusted you!"

"This wasn't Brandon's fault" I stopped Stef right in her tracks, "Brandon didn't start this, I did. I'm the one who accepted this promise ring, and I'm the one who didn't stop him from being with me. So if you're going to punish somebody, then punish me."

Stef tried to speak again, but I wouldn't let her get a word in before I started talking again.

"Brandon is the first person that I have ever trusted outside my family, and he doesn't deserve to get caught up in all this legal crap. So if you're going to send me away, I'll say that I came on to him, and I will leave. So long as you keep Jude."

I must have said something right, because Stef's eyes lost their overcast look and softened up to the eyes that I had become used to.

"Sweetie, we aren't going to send you away" she started, "but what you and Brandon have been doing isn't okay, yes, you are young and in love. But you also lied to us, and we trusted you to be responsible. Both of you. We are going to be here for you forever, even if Mr. Lovett isn't your father. You do need to be punished though, and wearing that ring out in the open like that really isn't a good idea."

We both nodded in relief, and I slipped the ring into my coat pocket.

I suppose that putting the ring away now was a good idea, because when the weekend was over, I would be back in school. Where nobody knew anything.