Hi all! OK thanks for the reviews for the last chapter - and AddieJane, welcome to the story. Glad to see your enthusiasm! Here is Episode 4 for you all. I was very nervous about this one but I hope what I settled on works. Obviously there are a few obvious gaps where the scenes from the show are - I think that is more obvious in this one than in any of the others - but hopefully it's still OK. I've tried to keep the extra stories light in this one, Kasey is more of an observer and a source of fluff (except for maybe some foreshadowing with where her story with Mike will go), I've tried to explore Brandon and Callie's early feelings and looked a little more into Jude without defining too much. I want to wait for the show to do that, but hopefully what I have is inline with what we have seen!
I asked a few of my good fanfic friends for scene suggestions in this episode but I can't remember who said what as it was so long ago. Either way, you know who you are and this whole episode was grown from your suggestions and requests, so thank you for that! I hope you enjoy and would love to hear from you as always.
Thanks to Mea23 as usual for reading over!
"Well that was a good appointment." Mike smiled, pulling up outside the craftsman.
"One week to go - I can't wait." Kasey sighed placing her head back against the head rest and raising her crutch up in a cheer.
"OK - well say hi to your folks, I gotta get going."
Kasey looked at him excitedly. "You got plans?" She beamed. She had been honouring her decision to try and improve their relationship but it had made her keen to see him get a little more happiness and companionship in his life.
Mike laughed. "Nah, I just got a bit of paperwork to do or that partner of mine is going to haul me over the coals in the morning."
Kasey dropped her head down, slightly disappointed it hadn't been something more fulfilling.
"She sounds like a bit of a ball-buster." Kasey teased back as Mike laughed. He cupped his hand round her head and pulled her in to give her a his on the forehead.
"I'll see you Saturday, kid." He patted her fondly on the arm.
"Night Dad." She smiled before getting out. Now down to one crutch and a boot she was moving more swiftly.
She headed into the kitchen just as Callie was leaving, speeding up as she caught the end of the conversation.
"Did I hear that right?" she asked as Callie looked at her.
"You're dancing with Brandon at the Mariana's mini wedding?" she clarified with a smile.
Callie shrugged. "Any chance you can get out of that boot by Saturday?"
"Not making an ass out of myself dancing with my brother is why I'm keeping it on..." she poked her tongue out as Callie shook her head.
"Making Callie dance with Brandon? Hasn't the poor girl suffered enough?" Kasey asked Stef as she walked in.
Lexi and Mariana had made their way out just as she entered. She attempted to steal a piece of food off the chopping board but was rewarded instead with a slap on the wrist.
"Don't listen to her, sweetheart. She's just jealous because she can't get a boot colour to match her beautiful pink dress." Stef teased as Kasey glared at her. She had never been a big fan of pink.
"I know Mom, who wouldn't wanna dance with this?" Brandon replied smugly in response to the comment.
"I bet Callie will love dancing with him." Talya added, laced with menace. She was becoming less subtle, though apparently Brandon was still oblivious. Kasey and Stef weren't. Neither would Lena be if she hadn't got absorbed in yet another organisational phone call that had taken her out of the room.
"We have homework." Talya announced before making her own exit, Brandon following behind.
"Well that was awkward." Kasey whispered to Stef who looked up at her with a comment on her lips but unsure of whether to make it. She decided against.
"Speaking of your dress..."
"I thought we were speaking about Brandon's dancing with -"
"Speaking of your dress." Stef repeated with extra emphasis to inform her that even if they had been that wouldn't be the subject any more.
"Have you tried it on since it was fixed up? We're going to take Jude and Callie tomorrow so it's your last chance."
"Right. I wouldn't want to have a loose dress taking attention away from the huge boot on my foot and crutches." she rolled her eyes.
Stef smiled mockingly.
"If you want sympathy..."
"Go elsewhere. I know. Hey Gram is coming soon right? I'm sure she loves me enough to have an ounce of compassion." she moaned.
"Wow Tiny Tim, you're whiney today." Stef observed returning to her chopping.
"Be careful with that knife Jude." Kasey warned, knowing it would make Stef look over. She snuck a carrot before Stef could notice it was a diversion, but as she had the knife in hand she simply clipped Kasey's good leg with her foot instead.
"So Jude, you getting suited up too then?" Kasey asked diverting away from the disapproving look she was getting for the theft. He looked nervously at Stef.
"Won't it be really expensive if you have to get us all new clothes?" he queried as Stef simply smiled sweetly at his innocence. The reassurance in her eyes said more than her mouth could.
"I wouldn't worry about that Jude, they've just temporarily forgotten that Mariana's a twin so have money to burn." Kasey contributed, showing that her mouth could say more than Stef's eyes.
"Is there any chance you're father is still outside so he can take you away again?" She shot back, squeezing the knife with frustration. Kasey pulled a face back at her Mom who shook her head and continued chopping.
"I don't mind the double standards Kase." Jesus weighed in, earning his own look. "I don't need the fuss anyway." He smiled as Stef ended her glare with a wink.
A smile prickled across Kasey's face. "You getting something else out of it?" she asked as Lexi poked her head in and Jesus' cheeks stung red.
"Stef, where are the little gift bags?" she asked. Stef looked up at her and licked her thumb. "That is an excellent question..." she bounced up onto her toes, looking around as Jesus shook his head with a glare, warning Kasey not to say anymore .
"I thought they were some of the things we moved to keep out of the way in the basement?" Kasey commented suggestively.
His look changed to confusion for a second but Kasey mouthed "alone". He got the hint and hopped off the chair getting lost in Lexi's eager eyes.
"Right, I'll show you." he offered, sharing a smile with his secret girlfriend.
"OK - that's looking good bud - I can do the rest." Stef assured Jude who also hopped off his chair and made his exit, skipping contently into his own world now that his task was complete.
Kasey began to fidget with some of the carrot peelings on the board in front.
"So...how long before Talya rips Callie's tongue out?" She asked bluntly as soon as she and her Mom were alone.
"Kasey Anne Foster." Stef reprimanded slamming her knife down. "You're like a dog with a bone." Her daughter shrugged in her defence.
"Don't pretend you're not thinking it..." she challenged.
"Even if I was, I would keep it to myself - and you would be wise to do the same, young lady. The last thing poor Callie needs is you stirring up rumours."
"No, the last thing she needs is Talya being a bitch because Brandon has eyes and a hot new girl living in his house."
"Enough." Stef warned as Kasey snapped her mouth shut. She looked at her daughter sternly but couldn't deny the earlier exchange had unsettled her too. She would have to make sure Brandon was familiar with the rules.
Lena returned to join them. "Well I think that's the DJ and bar sorted."
"You explain that IDs aren't necessary because we'll all be too busy grinding against each other to want to drink?"
"Close. I told him if anyone with a limp orders anything even vaguely alcoholic to let us know immediately."
"Are you trying to stop those pesky pirates from gate-crashing ?" she replied with a squint as Stef shook her head.
Lena raised her eyebrows, unamused.
"Wait - you mean me? As if. I'm just gonna drink Mom's when she's not looking."
Stef flicked her own eyebrow up at her before moving off to prepare a pan.
"You can try it but I dunno why you want to be footless and handless. Which is a warning that stands for right now too." she added, swinging round to snatch away the chopping board from Kasey's once again out-reaching hand.
"You check your dress fits?" Lena asked as Kasey groaned a yes.
"She's very sensitive about the dress." Stef whispered loudly.
"You? Self conscious? Since when?" Lena laughed.
"Since I've been walking around with an astronaut boot. It doesn't exactly compliment silk." she grumbled looking down at the table.
"Kasey - you once went trick or treating as a zombie pole dancer." Lena reminded her.
"Ha! I forgot about that. The year you weren't home before we went out."
"Also known as the year your candy got donated to all the other kids in the neighbourhood..." Stef chirped as Kasey turned back to Lena.
"I think it's because Mom hasn't given me enough encouragement since my injury." Kasey whimpered. "It's lowered my self esteem."
"Oh please." Stef quipped as Lena rolled her eyes.
"You want more love and encouragement?" she asked putting her wooden spoon down and approaching her. Kasey drew a crutch knowing what was coming.
"You've been neglecting her for 6 whole weeks remember..." Lena reminded her as Stef moved the crutch away and went to softly grab at her daughter, threatening another smothering of kisses.
"I take it back, I take it back!" Kasey yelped trying to hit Stef off with her crutch. Stef stopped but not before rustling her hair into her face.
"The hair. Every time. Why?" she moaned.
"You're the one who asks for it." she responded returning to her cooking as if it had never happened.
"If you don't behave on Saturday I'll be sure to do it during the family photo." she smirked.
"I take it your sister knows about us then?" Lexi asked through a kiss. Jesus wasn't interested in talking about his sister.
"Yep - she's cool." he replied before continuing, pushing Lexi up against the wall.
"Think she'll tell Mariana?" she asked as it glazed off him again.
"Will you stop worrying about it." he eventually replied through a smile, cupping her cheek.
"I can't help it - I just feel constantly on edge." she responded.
"I think you need to relax..." he replied as a devilish grin spread across his face. Danger flickered in her eyes as he scooped her up and swing her round. She uttered out a delighted shriek before he flopped her down on the bed, not remembering that it was a camp one. They screeched further as a leg folded down and it slid into a pile of stacked boxes that had been cleared to make room. They fell with an almighty crash.
"What the hell was that?" Stef snapped to attention dropping the spoon down into the pan as Lena and Kasey also looked towards the source. "Jesus still in the basement?"
Kasey's eyes widened and she jumped up knowing full well a possible cause.
"I'll go check..." she offered, slightly panicked, but Stef easily beat her to it.
"I'd rather find out today." she replied already out the room with Lena close behind.
"Are you sure it came from the basement, Moms?" Kasey yelled as loudly as she could with hopes it may at least serve as a warning if she couldn't impede them in any other way.
Lena threw her a look as she shrugged. Jesus had already come up to the door, flustered.
"What's going on?" Stef exclaimed, arms crossed. "Are you OK?"
"Fine." he smiled guiltily. "I just knocked over some boxes looking for the gift bags...to take up to Lexi and Mariana. Upstairs."
He flashed a look at Kasey but quickly returned his gaze to Stef.
"And how deep into the boxes in here were you expecting the gift bags we got 2 days ago to be exactly?"
"Well..." he looked around and the mountain of stuff around him. "I thought that but then I couldn't find them..." he looked at Kasey again.
"Oh wait - we moved the gift bags under the stairs. My mistake!" Kasey added with a nervous laugh.
Stef and Lena looked at each other before sizing up their two children sternly.
"Clean this up." Lena ordered before returning towards the kitchen.
"And then take those gift bags up to Mariana and Lexi." she added with a nod eyeing Kasey as she passed.
She paused at the smile she was receiving from her.
"You better not be up to something." she whispered before returning to the cooking.
Both Jesus and Kasey exhaled as Lexi crept around from where she had been hiding.
Kasey turned furiously to Jesus.
"I was trying to give you five minutes alone - not an opportunity to trash my room!" she scolded.
"I'm sorry - we didn't mean to. The bed collapsed and..."
"You better not have been doing that!" she cut him off in horror, slightly freaked out.
"Nothing bad - just kissing. I wouldn't do that in your room. We haven't even - I mean..." he looked nervously at Lexi who was trying to look anywhere other than at Jesus as he embarrassed them both digging further. They hadn't even thought about 'that' yet. Kasey raised her palm, she wasn't immune to the anguish.
"Just help me clean up." she moved past him.
"I better get those gift bags up - at least I have a bit of an excuse for taking so long..." Lexi passed them.
"I'll see you before you go...?" Jesus whispered with a smile. Lexi was powerless to not give him one back, lost once again in the connection between them every time their eyes met. She passed him up the stairs, glancing her hand off his arm.
He paused to take in the sight of her ascending before he was awoken by a thump to the back of his head.
"Ow!" he exclaimed looking at the small toy on the floor that had bounced off his head.
"Will you pull your tongue in?" Kasey ordered.
He shook his head and got about putting the stuff back in the boxes.
"I don't get it you know...why you don't just tell Mariana?" she focussed on collecting the spilled out contents rather than looking at him.
He shrugged. "She's gonna be mad and Lexi doesn't want to upset her before her party. Mariana told me she didn't want me dating her."
"But you are anyway?" Kasey asked, slightly surprised.
Jesus rubbed the back of his hair angrily. "Mariana can't dictate my life."
Kasey squinted at him. Something had definitely happened between them.
"Is there more to this than you're letting on?" she asked suspiciously. Jesus paused.
"No." he lied, thinking about all of the reasons he was angry at Mariana. He would usually do anything to keep her happy. He had done - he had almost sacrificed this relationship once already, but it was becoming clear that it was a one way street. Mariana didn't deserve anything from him - he'd already done so much and she never appreciated it. Why should he keep putting his own happiness on hold for her while it was clear he still wasn't good enough for her? If she appreciated the effort why was she so desperate to find Ana? Clearly she wanted more than him so he wouldn't keep trying to keep her fulfilled at his own expense. It was never worth it.
Stef made her way up the stairs. The day seemed half in order. Callie was in the court - that should help her feel more involved in the family and make Mariana a little more welcoming. The girls did seem to be getting on better - she had busted them for a midnight party a week or so before but Kasey and Mariana had dominated that (they certainly got the rebuke for it) but there was still a bit of a wedge between Mariana and Callie. Their characters were so different and it was a lot harder to force a bond at teenage age than it had been for young Mariana to bond with a very different Kasey. She had also confronted the awkward situation with Talya. She trusted Brandon when he said there was nothing going on - there was no reason not to - she just hoped that it stayed that way. There was still however one more minor thing on her tick list that Lena had brought to her attention. She had to remember to tackle it after she'd bid the kids goodnight.
She went from Jude and Jesus' room into Mariana and Callie's. Callie was in the bathroom but she was able to wish Mariana goodnight. She was so impressed with the effort Mariana was putting into the preparations she had almost forgotten to ask but she remembered as she was leaving.
"Hey, listen - " she turned back. "You know Mama said something to me and I just wanted to check in with you - you're not embarrassed to dance with us at your party, are you?" She paused to wait for Mariana's reassurance. It soon became apparent that she may not get it. Stef blinked down and she felt a disheartened smile creep across her face. She could tell Mariana was trying to think of a way to break this to her gently, but she hadn't seen it coming. Her face said more than she needed to.
"I see..." Stef interpreted as Mariana continued to struggle in silence.
"Mom...it's not that..."
Stef gulped down the cannonball forming in her throat trying to look everywhere except at her daughter. Deciding she would have to face it with grace, she went over to Mariana and cupped her cheeks. "Listen, you don't have to explain yourself."
"It's not that I'm ashamed of having two Moms...I just...I just don't know how it would work..."
Stef shushed her again and gave her cheeks a soft caress.
"You don't have to explain." she repeated. "This is your day - we want you to be as comfortable as possible. And let's face it - most 15 year olds wouldn't wanna be seen dead dancing with their parents - dad or mom, right?" she tried to joke. Mariana gave her a sympathetic smile. If she was going to break her heart she could at least make an effort to laugh at her jokes.
Stef moved her hands off Mariana's cheeks and down onto her arms, patting them lightly.
"You just have a think about who you want and we will ask them. Him. Whoever." she struggled to find the words but was relieved to finally have them out. She patted her one more time before clearing her throat awkwardly.
On cue to save them from any more, Callie appeared from the bathroom.
"Well - anyway, I better get to bed. And you two should too. Callie - dress fitting tomorrow! And you both need to learn how to dance. Fun times ahead." she stumbled through the words, trying desperately to at least maintain control over something.
Callie nodded.
"Uhm Mom..." Mariana chased after her, stopping her just short of the door.
"How about Mike? I mean, at least he's a parent of my brother and sister."
Stef stuttered again almost through a sigh.
"Unless it would be too..."
"No, no. Of course not. Great idea." Stef focussed all of her energy into maintaining the front. "I'll ask him."
Mariana smiled gratefully before pulling Stef into a tight hug. Stef collected herself for a moment before fully embracing her and kissing her firmly.
"See you in the morning, love." she whispered with one last stroke of her cheek as Mariana scurried back into the room.
Stef pulled the door to close and leaned against the wall with her face in her hands.
She hadn't seen this feeling coming - even with Lena's warning. She knew that it didn't really mean anything - Mariana was trying to stick as rigidly traditional as possible and they were the definitive example of non-traditional - but it worked. Nothing would change that. Then there was Mike. She loved it and hated it. He was part of their family in the wider sense of the word and Stef trusted him more than anyone else outside of their brood. They often relied on him for help if in a jam and he had been involved a little with the younger twins despite not being their father - it was impossible for him not to have been. He stood up for their family and defended them as a couple. If Mariana wanted a man to fulfil the patriarchal role then he was a natural choice - but what a slap in the face that could be for Lena. Especially in light of recent tension. Stef let out an audible groan to the empty hallway. She would have to approach this gently...and she would maybe leave it till tomorrow.
Next Chapter Preview: Stef regrets her method of breaking the Mike news to Lena, Kasey makes a prediction about Brandon and Talya's future and Callie deals with her inner turmoil at the dress shop.
"Callie..." She heard Jude's little voice. He was stood, gawping up at her, two suits in hand. He couldn't take his eyes off how she looked.
"You look...really pretty...I don't think I've ever seen..." He tried to stop, knowing it would make her embarrassed but he couldn't. He knew his sister was pretty but he was much more used to her hiding it behind baggy clothes and dull colours.
"You like it?" She asked nervously to him.
"I think you look amazing." He smiled. There was no sense of teasing in his voice, it was genuine, and he was the one person in the world she could always trust.