Chapter 14: Broken, Beat and Scarred.
Disclaimer: For the 34th Time, I do not own the Fosters.
AN: Please leave a review with any ideas or prompts you may have. I'm starting to run out of ideas for this story. This chapter picks up about eight hours after the end of the previous one. Also, I know the date mentioned might screw up the timeline a little bit, but I can't really bring myself to care at the moment. Also I say 2014 because it is mentioned in the show that Jude is 13, and in the season 2 premiere his birth certificated showed that his birthday was in November of 2000. Also, the chapter title is a reference to the Metallica song of the same name.
Connor's POV:
Today had been going so well. We had been having such a good time today, free of worry and anxiety. Just Jude and I, being a couple, acting like we deserved to act.
How did things get so fucked up in just a few hours?
Everything was going great. Jude and I had a mini date at the beach after our heart to heart talk. We ate the sandwiches he had brought along. We swam for a while, and then we had played at the arcade on the pier until we had wasted half of our combined funds. Then we snuck away, to make out under the pier for a couple of hours. We never saw it coming. We didn't know we were being followed.
One second we're kissing, enjoying a nice make out session. Then we hear slurs being thrown at us and the next moment we're both on the ground and a couple of muscle heads are beating the shit out of us.
I fought back, but they had knocked Jude unconscious, so he was defenseless.
When I managed to knock the guy going after me out, I turned to focus my attention on the guys going after Jude. For the second time in my life I felt murderous rage course through my veins. I looked around, my sight catching notice of a medium sized rock. I picked it up, and with a bellow of rage, I lunged forward and struck Jude's attacker over the head with it.
I heard Jude moan in pain as he momentarily regained consciousness. He curled up into a ball, and started crying, and I rushed to his side.
"Where does it hurt?"
"C-c-chest." Jude chokes through his tears, "R-ribs hurt."
I pulled out my phone and dialed 911.
"911 what is your emergency?"
"Yeah I need an ambulance and the police at the pier near Anchor Beach Charter School. My boyfriend and I were just attacked. We need help. Send Office Adams Foster, tell her it's Jude and Connor."
"Help will be there right away."
"Thank you." I said, hanging up the phone, "Help's on the way, JJ. Don't move too much. It'll be okay. I promise."
Not even ten minutes later, as our attackers are starting to regain consciousness, the cops and ambulance show up. Stef doesn't even bother with our attackers, making one of them bounce their heads off the door of her squad car before offering a very fake and very sarcastic apology.
That was three hours ago.
It's 3:43 p.m. on August 12th, 2014 and I'm sitting next to my boyfriend's hospital bed. Trying furiously not to burst into tears.
He's got four broken ribs, a concussion, and a fractured wrist. He was hurting so much, they gave him some pain meds to put him to sleep. Lena and the rest of the Fosters had arrived quickly and had informed me of Jude's injuries. I sat down in this chair, and I haven't moved or made a sound since.
I barely registered my dad enter the room and pull up a chair to sit next to me. He placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed.
"Where's mom?" I ask.
"She's in the waiting room talking to Stef and Lena..." Dad said, "They said they were gonna call Jude's dad, and get him down here too. You okay, son?"
"No. I'm not."
We sat in silence for a few minutes, listening to the steady rhythmic beep of the heart monitor.
"This is the third time in less than two months that I have been in this damn place." I said miserably, "First it was me, then it was Jax, and now Jude too?"
I exhale a shuddering breath that turned quickly to a sob.
"I don't know how much more of this I can take." I cried softly, reaching out and threading my fingers through the ones on Jude's undamaged hand.
"I'm sick of how everybody else in this world wants nothing more than to see us suffer." I growled, "It's not fair. I'm a human being, Jude is a human being, we are ALL human beings, and just because we both like boys automatically makes us lower than the filthiest of scum in the eyes of so many. I'm fucking SICK OF IT!"
"Connor, watch your mouth." Dad scolded softly, "I know you're angry. I know you're upset, but that kind of language is unacceptable within earshot of me or your mother."
"Sorry," I said glumly, staring back at Jude, "It's just... Jude has been through too much in his life already, and he's only thirteen. He lost his mother at six years old and went into the system, where he was subjected to horrors that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemies. He was raped by some sick bastard who was supposed to be his foster brother. And through all that, he is still kind, considerate, compassionate, brave, honest, loving, lovable, and the best boyfriend I could ever have hoped to have, and ever will have if it doesn't last. He is an amazing, wonderful person who doesn't fully realize how wonderful he really is. I would be dead if it wasn't for him."
A short silence followed my monologue, before Dad broke it.
"I heard what you and your uncle talked about this morning." Dad said.
I gave him a quick glance.
"What do you mean?" I ask him.
"About you being suicidal when you met Jude." He said, his voice cracking
"If I had known at the time, how much you were hurting, and how much Jude helped to put you back together and heal you, I would never have tried to keep you two apart. I feel so... terrible about everything that I said to you. I very nearly ruined the one thing good that you felt you had in your life, and I am so... so sorry. I'm surprised you can even stand the sight of me anymore."
"You've accepted me." I said to him, "You've accepted Jude. You've accepted our relationship. I've noticed it, he's noticed it, even mom has noticed it. You stood up for us at the restaurant that day. You stood up for us at Grandpa's yesterday. Mom is proud of you. We all are proud of you, for how far you've come... I'm proud to call you my dad again."
He gave me a look. It held many emotions: shock, pain, love, worry, and a tinge of anger.
"The only thing I worry about with your relationship with Jude, is things like this happening." Dad said, "The bastards that did this to you two won't get away with it, I promise you."
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"The district attorney is an old college friend of mine," Dad said, "He owes me a favor, and if I call it in, he will make these guys' lives in prison a living hell."
"You would really do that? For me and Jude."
"After all that kid has done to help you, and after I pulled my head out of my ass, he was already practically becoming part of the family." Dad said, "He's your boyfriend. You love him, and he saved your life. That DOES make him family. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY fucks with the Stevens family."
I smirk, but it quickly turns into a smile.
"Thanks dad. That means a lot to me."
"For what it's worth, I think this will last. Your relationship with him." Dad said, "I have never seen two people who belong together more than you two."
We sink into a semi comfortable silence, which is interrupted when there is a knock on the door and we turn to see Jude's dad enter slowly.
His eyes widen in rage at the sight of his son's condition.
"I think I'm gonna go visit my old cell mate tomorrow." Donald said, "He owes me a favor. The bastards that did this to him... they are gonna have a hell of a time in prison."
I feel Jude's hand squeeze mine at the sounds of his dads voice. I whip back around to see that he has woken up, and is staring at Donald with squinted eyes.
"Dad?" He asked.
Donald approached the bed. Tears of fury and worry cloud his vision.
"Hey kiddo. You okay?" He asked.
"I'd be a lot worse if Connor hadn't been there." Jude said weakly, "He hit the guy over the head with a rock. If he hadn't been there..."
"Don't think about that, JJ." I interjected, "I was there. There's no need to dwell on how badly it could have been when it wasn't."
"When can I go home?" Jude asked sleepily.
"Stef and Lena said they are keeping you for a few days for observation." Donald answered, "I guess they wanna make sure everything is normal on the blood tests and the scans."
Jude nodded, accepting the answer given to him.
He patted the space next to him on the bed.
"Connor," He said, "C'mere."
"You sure? The beds kinda small." I said.
"Just get up here."
I smile at him softly and nod my head. I rise from my chair and gently lower myself into bed next to him, taking care not to jar him. As soon as I'm in a comfortable position, he leans into me as best he can given his injuries. His head rests on my shoulder. I turn my head and press a kiss to the top of his head. Then the door flies open with a bang, scaring the daylights out of me.
My Uncle Evan is standing there in the doorway, in all of his usual menacing black clad glory.
His eyes are completely bloodshot from his anger, giving him the look of being possessed.
He approached the bed.
"Brother. Donald." He said, nodding at Dad and Donald. Donald nods back.
"Evan." My dad said, returning the nod, "They can never seem to catch a break, can they?"
"We're gonna end up having to hire bodyguards." Donald joked morbidly.
"I've got a friend from college that was in the Secret Service." Uncle Evan jokes, "He owes me a favor."
"What'd you do to earn the favor?" Jude asked weakly.
"Referred him to a divorce lawyer." Uncle Evan said nonchalantly.
Jude snorted, and releases a short guffaw of laughter that turned to a moan of pain. Jude rubbed his ribs from the pain the laughter caused.
"Come on Uncle Evan, don't do that." I scold him for making Jude laugh, "You've had broken ribs before, you know it hurts to laugh."
"I didn't know his ribs were broken. Sorry about that, Jude." He admits sheepishly.
"S'okay." Jude said, "At least I can count on you to liven up the mood when everybody else is seething."
"Oh believe me, kiddo," Uncle Evan said, "I am seething just as much as they are, I've just been blessed with the gift of being able to switch it on and off without a seconds hesitation."
"You'll have to teach us that trick." I said.
"If you want to, I'd be glad to teach you anything that'll keep you two safe." Uncle Evan said.
"Even how to shoot a gun?" Jude asked quietly.
All heads in the room turned to look at him in shock.
"You'd want to learn how to shoot a gun?" I ask him wearily.
"Yeah. I don't want to be scared every time I go out in public. It'd make me safer knowing I knew how to use one."
"We haven't exactly had the best of luck with guns in the past," I remind him, "One left a hole in my foot if you don't remember. Besides, we're too young to get the permit to carry one, even if we did know how to use them."
"If we start learning now, then we'd be fine by the time we reached that age." Jude argued.
"I just don't know if it's a good idea." I said, "You and the guys had to beg me for a week to get me to go paintballing."
"And you ended up liking it." Jude said.
"Yeah." I argued back, "But a paintball gun is a little bit different than a Glock isn't it? If you want to learn how to shoot... fine. Go ahead, I won't stop you. But I think that it's one thing I'm just not ready to do."
"Fair enough."
"I could teach you how to use a knife too, if you want me to." Uncle Evan interjected.
"That sounds like it'd be more my speed," I responded, "Safer than a gun."
"Don't be cocky, Connor." Uncle Evan said, "You can still hurt yourself using a knife improperly, just like with a gun."
He paused and looked between us before sighing.
"If this is what you guys want, then I will teach you," He said, "Jude, I will teach you how to shoot and use a knife, because like Connor said, it'll be a long time before you can get the permit to carry a gun. BUT, you have to ask your moms first. Jude. I'm not gonna teach you this behind their backs. I know that Stef is a police officer, and I know she would have my head for brunch if I did that. So, when you get out of the hospital, and when your ribs and wrist have healed, IF they BOTH give consent, then I will teach you. But ONLY when those conditions are met. And you have to take this EXTREMELY seriously. Any screwing around, and the lessons are done. Clear?"
Jude nodded.
"That goes for you too, Connor." He said, turning to me, "I know your dad is on board with you learning to use a knife to defend yourself, but you still have to convince your mom. And like I told Jude, any screwing around and it's over. Am I clear?"
"Yeah. Crystal." I said with a nod.
"Then we're all in agreement." Uncle Evan said with a nod, "I will teach you and Jude how to use a knife, and I'll teach Jude how to shoot too. As soon as Stef and Lena give me the all clear, and as soon as you're healed, we can start."
I turn my head to look at Jude. He has a determined look in his eyes, that almost scares me. i grab his hand and give it a squeeze.
I'm not his master, so I'm not going to try to talk him out of doing it. I know that when he gets that look in his eyes it was like trying to convince a brick wall to shift it's bricks without a bulldozer. I just hope this doesn't backfire on us. At the same time, I'm glad we are going to be learning how to defend ourselves.
I don't know if I can handle something else bad happening to Jude.
At least this way, if it comes down to a fight, we'll at least have a chance.
AN: And with this chapter, "War Paint" surpasses "Shared" in total word count. When I started this story, I thought it would be about the same length. My ultimate goal is thirty chapters. I also might put it on hiatus when season three starts, and pick it back up after the midseason finale airs. That way I would know for sure what the new dynamic between Jude and Connor is like in the show now that they are going to be officially dating onscreen, and then try to emulate it a bit instead of pushing forward with the wild guesswork that I'm working with right now. Like always, leave a review. Any prompts and ideas are welcome, either by sending me a PM, or leaving it in the reviews.