Stef groaned when she heard the shower cut off. It was hot in bed, Callie hot, she thought noticing the girl was wrapped around her. Stef moved bangs from in front of Callie's face. Lena came in, a towel wrapped around her chest and hair. "Morning," Stef greeted her.
Lena smiled and gave her a little wave before she bent over to put the lotion on her legs.
"This is one of my favorite times of days,"Stef grinned, propped up on the bed to watch Lena. She was careful not to disturb Callie.
"Don't look too long," Lena warned, pulling on a pair of black tights. "Do you want to take the kids today since you are off today?"
Shifting, Stef rolled to her back, "I was planning on doing laundry and the floors. Figured once you guys get going, I'd have a nap."
"Dream on Sleeping Beauty," Lena smirked walking into the hallway. "Jude, Jesus," she knocked on the door, "you guys need to be in the kitchen."
Jesus stuck his head out the door, "he's all ready down there. I'll be there in a few minutes."
"Hey, honey," Stef said softly, She gently moved her body from Callie's. "You probably need to work on getting up," Stef advised rubbing Callie's shoulder.
"Uh," Callie groaned covering her eyes from the light. Damn it, it happened again. She'd gone to sleep specifically thinking about not to have one. Eight hours later, here she was.
"What's on your mind?" Stef quietly questioned her.
Callie shook her head, pressing her arm into her eyes. She wasn't in the crying mood but she didn't want Stef to see her. That woman seemed to read way more than Callie wanted to share. "I have to get a shower," Callie mumbled not moving.
Stef sighed and rubbed Callie's arm, "yeah," she answered. "You OK?" She tried a different approach.
"Fine," Callie's tone said drop it. Before she could sit up, Marianna pounced in. She had been pretty excited since returning home with the Moms.
"Hey," Marianna jumped between Stef and Callie. She held her hand out, "look, they're amaze," she showed her fingernails and toenails to Stef and Callie. Marianna was dressed but had her hair to finish. "Come on," she pulled at Callie's arm. "You want to have time to get fabulous," she grinned at the look on Callie's face. "Come on, Mom," Marianna reached for Stef, who groaned as they sandwiched Callie together in a tight hug.
When the hug ended, Callie slid out of the bed with a sheepish smile, "I"ll shower, but no promise on fabulous," she offered Marianna.
Marianna waved Callie off and leaned against the head of the bed, "why does she do that?" She looked at Stef, "she always seems to get some guy."
"Maybe it's not about getting a guy for Callie?" Stef questioned, crossing her arms over her chest. Marianna wordlessly thought about it. "Speaking of it, why do you do this?" She motioned to the bed,
"I don't want her to think I hate her,"she quietly explained. Acknowleding Lena's reappearance, Marianna shrugged, "she does wake me up every night."
Lena looked over her shoulder as she put an earring in, "Marianna, you know Callie doesn't mean it."
"I know," Marianna set up. "I know now, but at 3 AM I forget sometimes," she climbed from the bed. "I feel bad and want to remind her I'm not really like that," she picked up a bracelet from Lena's dresser, "girl, if you want to look good, this blue will add that pop you need."
"I'll take that under advisement, girl," Lena mocked. "You have either twelve or fifteen minutes, depending if Mom will drive." She raised her eyes at Stef who was climbing out of bed.
Passing Lena to the bedroom, Stef leaned over and kissed her, "I'm going," she said.
Lena smiled to herself. Calm ride to school. "Thanks babe," she called after Stef. "Just make sure you brush your teeth," she laughed pulling the blankets up on the bed, before walking downstairs.
Stef walked into the kitchen, taking a cup of coffee from Lena. She kissed her goodbye, "OK, Loves, you have five minutes." Jesus was shoveling cereal in his mouth, next to Marianna who was eating toast and a scrambled egg. "Cook for yourself?" Stef asked, kissing Marianna's head who nodded.
Callie walked down the steps carrying a coffee cup. She put it in the sink and grabbed a banana, "hey, Buddy," she greeted Jude who was standing at the sink rinsing dishes.
"Hey, B," Stef greeted Brandon. He began with a bowl of cereal. "Real quick, let me go over today. B, you of course have piano, Marianna, you are staying after school for play, yes?"
"Yes," Marianna agreed.
"Good, Jesus, grounded. Today, I am going to call some places. Next week we have to get you on the ball. Jude, no tutor, you have a free night. Callie, sometime today, maybe at school, you're meting Julie," Stef reads off. "Did I miss anything?" All the kids shook their heads. "OK, hurry up, we need to leave. You all are later, it's not just you that's in trouble," Stef put her cup in the sink.
Everyone went together up their school things. "Jesus," Brandon yelled, "stop."
"Oh, come on, dude, I didn't hurt him," Jesus yelled back. "It was a joke."
"Come here buddy," Callie took Jude into her room. She pulled up his shirt and saw a small red mark.
"Stay out," Marianna blocked the door. "You are such a nobody jerk."
Jude looked at Jesus then back to Callie. He clenched his jaw, it hurt but not bad, "it's sore."
"Don't be a baby," Jesus glared at Jude.
Brandon pushed him toward the stairs, "you are an ass."
"It's OK," Callie gently wiped the cool cloth Marianna handed her over the welt. She pulled his shirt down and looked at him, "you're good, Buddy."
Stef had heard the commotion and came upstairs. She observed the scene. "Jesus, take your medicine-" she raised her hand when he tried to argue, "go." Jesus went downstairs. "Jude, honey," she wrapped him in a hug, "I hate saying this because he shouldn't do this stuff, but he really doesn't mean it."
"He's always going to be that loser working at the car place" Marianna rolled her eyes.
"Enough. Jesus has different energy. Sometimes that's not great," Stef pulled Jude back, wiping his eyes. "Are you OK?" He nodded. "I'm sorry, hun." She surveyed the rest. Marianna was touching up her make up, Brandon had grabbed his earphones, and Callie stood with her arms crossed watching Jude. Stef rubbed Callie's arm who rolled her eyes and went to get her bag. "Two minutes. B?" She tossed the keys to Brandon, "please start the car."
Jesus jumped into the front seat, while the others crowded in the back two rows. "All right, guys, thanks for at least making it out with everything. Jesus, thank you for apologizing to Jude. Let's make sure that doesn't happen again, OK?"
"Oh, yeah, for sure," Jesus met Steph's eyes with his dark ones.
Stef shook her head and looked back at the others. "Any requests for dinner?" She asked.
"That I not have to help," Marianna replied.
"Thanks, Hun, you can do the salad," Stef smirked. "How about ribs on the grill?"
"Yeah," Jude said happily,"that's my favorite."
Callie smirked and put her arm around her brother, "come on,buddy, you like mostly anything."
"Yeah, but ribs are my favorite," Jude grinned. "Thanks for the ride, Stef," he acknowledged.
Stef pulled to the drop off area. "All right, what do we do?"
"Be kind and be good," Brandon rolled his eyes.
"Way to be the big brother," Stef looked back proudly. She watched as they all piled from the car into the school yard. Driving off, Stef made a quick decision to check on her father. Driving the short few miles, she'd picked him up a coffee. She walked to the back and slid open the sliding door, "hey," she said, sitting down the coffee.
Her dad looked up and smiled, "hey," he picked up the coffee, "wow, nice surprise."
"You're welcome," Stef said, sitting beside him at the bar. She picked a piece of paper, not much news she doesn't see everyday. "How's life?" She asked.
Frank shrugged, "Padres aren't going to win the pennant, some billionaire is going to move the Chargers. Same story different year."
"True" Stef laughed. "Hey," she said as if remembering something, "Roberts pulled me in her office Monday and told me they were batting my name around for SVU"
"Wow," Frank turned to him daughter, "that's amazing."
Stef blushed. To hear praise from her dad felt weird. "It's a long term thing. Have to get my shield first, but it's nice to be considered."
"Hell, Stef," Frank noted, "I was on the force for thrity-five years. Only thing my Captain ever told me was to lose weight."
"Well," Stef smirked looking at her dad, "nah, I'm just excited for the chance, maybe. The money would be better, but we'll see."
Frank studied his daughter, "are you and Lena worried about money?"
Stef shook her head and rolled her eyes, "no, dad." Frank had always had trouble realizing that two women could support a family, "we have plenty of money. I'm just planning for the future." She stood up and washed dishes in the sink.
"You don't have to do that," Frank stood up. "Whatever you decide, I'm proud of you, Stefanie," he kissed her cheek. "Want to go to the track today?
"Dad," Stef threw the towel at him,"I have to save money, not lose it." She laughed, "I have to grocery shop, pay bills, you know the fun part of family life. I am fixing ribs for dinner if you'd like to stop over."
"I might do that," Frank throught. "Be good to see Lena and the kids."
"Yeah," Stef agreed. She tied her shoes, "well, we'll eat around 6:30. You're welcome anytime. Love you," she waved.
"Love you, too," Frank waved. A Detective. His daughter. Now, that was something to brag to the boys at the track about, he thought.