Chapter 21: Confrontation.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Fosters
AN: This chapter takes place after the previous chapter. Features an appearance of somebody from Jude's past...
Connor's POV April 20th 2019:
Today was an important day.
Jude and I's college letters finally came in the mail this morning. I had called him frantic, and had rushed over to his house, to be met by my boyfriend bouncing on the heels of his feet. We then proceeded to screech frantically when we read our acceptance letters.
Jude and I were both going to UC San Diego.
We decided to celebrate with a day out, starting with a long walk through the park. Jude ran upstairs to retrieve his jacket, gun and holster, and we drove to my house to get mine.
Funny how the one thing Jude and I never forget when we go out in public is our guns.
Ever since Jude and I got our concealed weapons permits, that's one thing we never forget when we leave the house. I keep my Glock tucked into the back of my pants, while Jude keeps his Python tucked into the inside pocket of his long coat. We never leave without them loaded either.
We were out at the park, just walking, spending time together, enjoying the California winter, hands linked at all times. Every few seconds we would look at each other and smile. I took a second to study my boyfriend with a dopy smile.
Jude Adams Foster has changed a lot over the six years I have know him, and the five years I have dated him. He was more confident in himself. His temper was sharper, and he had a habit of being sassy when he's irritated. He held himself differently. He was no longer haunted by the trauma of his past. He looked different. He's taller. He and I are the same exact height. His hair had grown to fall to his shoulders, curling at the end, his bangs long enough to tuck behind his ears. His once lean and wiry body was now toned, from the countless hours he spent working out after I taught him how. He had a long scar along the side of his face from where my dog, Buster, had scratched him when we first got him. He had taken to wearing more jewelry, as well. He wore his class ring on his right ring finger, and four other rings on various fingers. He had traded his old watch in for a new one. A silver pocket watch that his dad, Donald, had gifted him on his eighteenth birthday. One thing that hadn't changed, was the coat of blue nail polish that adorned his fingers.
I've changed a lot too.
My hair was longer too, although not to the extent that Jude's was, because my hair get's extremely curly when it grows out like that. My physique had improved right along with Jude's, even though I was already buff when we started going out. Jude likes to jokingly ask me when I'm going to enter weight lifting competitions. My sense of dress was still the same. The only real addition to my normal ensemble of faded jeans and a flannel shirt was the black leather jacket that my Uncle gave me and the baseball cap that I wore. I still suffered from depression, although not to the extent that I used to. As long as I take the anti depressants, I'm usually fine.
I'm also going to be a big brother in a few months.
My parents dropped the news on me a week after Jude turned eighteen, that my mom was six weeks pregnant. The baby would be born in late August, early September. While I was surprised that my mom could still get pregnant at 40 years old, I was ecstatic, and I remember calling Jude, screaming giddily through tears of joy.
I'm shaken from my musings by Jude gently bumping shoulders with me. I make eye contact and he smiles at me.
"You okay?" He asked, "You were a million miles away for a sec."
"Yeah. I'm fine." I said, "Just happy is all."
"Me too." He said with a smile, kissing me on the cheek, "I can't believe we're going to the same college."
"I still can't believe my Uncle is paying for us to go." I said.
My Uncle Evan was paying for Jude and I to attend college. He certainly had enough money to allow him to do so, and since I was his favorite nephew and he adored Jude, that was our graduation present.
"Have you decided what you want to do yet?" He asked, "As a career?"
"I wanna be an architect. Design buildings and stuff like that." I said, "What do you want to do?"
"I wanna be a social worker." Jude said, "I mean, with my experiences in the foster care system, I feel like I could do some real good. I want to help kids like me and Callie find good homes like Stef and Lena gave us."
"You'd be good at it. You're great with kids."
"Speaking of kids, you looking forward to having a sibling?" He asked.
"Yeah. I really am." I said, "A few years ago, I would have laughed at the idea and called it a pipe dream, but now it's fricken happening! GAH, I'm so excited."
"You'll be a great big brother." Jude said.
Suddenly we heard a voice coming from our right side, and the happy tranquility of the morning was shattered.
"Well, well, well. Look who it is. Jude Jacob in the flesh."
I felt Jude slam to a halt, and I turned to face him. His face was white, his eyes wide. His hand tightened on mine to a vice grip that actually hurt slightly. We turned to the voice
"What no hell or nothing?" The voice asked, "And you've got a boy toy now, do you? Always knew you were a queer, Jacob."
It was a man. Tall, muscular, short brown hair.
"It's Adams Foster now." Jude snarled, "You vile waste of blood and organs."
"Such disrespect." The man said, "Is that any way to talk to your old foster brother."
My eyes flew wide at that statement. I knew who he was.
This was Liam.
I wanted nothing more than to reach for my gun, but Jude had a vice grip on my shooting hand.
"When they raped me? Yes. That's exactly how I speak to them." Jude said, his voice laced with cold venom, "I thought you were in prison. How'd you get out?"
"Overcrowding." Liam sneered, "And good behavior didn't harm my chances either."
He took an arrogant step closer, and Jude's hand flew into his jacket, and drew his revolver.
"Take another step closer, I fuckin dare you." He snarled.
"I doubt you know how to use that, Juju." Liam sneered and took another step closer.
Jude's eye twitched, and his teeth were bared in a snarl. Jude cocked the gun and flicked the safety off, his finger resting on the .
"You want to press your luck?" He asked, a dangerous edge to his voice, "I should do it anyway. After what you did to me and my fucking sister, you deserve nothing less."
"Your sister was practically begging for it." Liam sneered.
"Oh and I WAS?" Jude screamed at him, "I was EIGHT FUCKING YEARS OLD, you WORTHLESS TROGLODYTE! You FUCKED AN EIGHT YEAR OLD BOY, WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BECOME YOUR BROTHER!"
"You're lucky Jude's got a hold of my hand, Olmstead." I snarled, finally speaking up, "Or you'd have a nice 9mm bullet right in the middle of your skull."
"Oh, so the muscle head does speak."
"The name's Stevens. Connor Stevens." I said, "I'm the one who put Jude back together after what you did to him, you sick monster."
"Oh and he's got a mouth on him too?" Liam sneered lecherously.
I opened my jacket to show the Glock in its holster.
"Guess what else I've got?" I said.
"We could kill you right now." Jude said, "My mom's a police officer, she could make it look like a complete accident."
He sneered at us.
"You think you can threaten me, you little punk?" Liam snarled, "I warned you that if you ever told anybody about that, you'd pay. I'm gonna enjoy this, you and your little boyfriend."
Liam's hand went to the pocket of his own jacket. I barely had time to think about how stupid of a move that was, when Jude and I saw a flash of silver at the exact same time, and Jude reacted first.
BANG!
I jumped as Jude's revolver jumped in his grip and Liam fell to the ground screaming, clutching his ruined knee. Jude dropped my hand and I rushed forward, grabbing the small pistol that Liam had dropped with the sleeve of my jacket, kicking him in the ribs once for good measure.
I turned and rushed back to Jude, who had dropped to his knees and was shaking.
"Jude? JUDE? Look at me?"
He did.
"I'm gonna call Stef, okay?" I said, "Sit here, okay?"
I withdrew my phone from my pocket and dialed Stef's number.
"What is it Connor, I'm on duty." She asked through the phone.
"Jude and I need you. We're at the park we like to go to." I said, starting to shake myself.
"What happened" She asked, and I could hear the sirens turn on in the background, "Are you two okay?"
"Did you know they released Liam from prison?" I asked.
"THEY WHAT?"
"We ran into him at the park." I said, "He taunted us. Threatened Jude, tried to draw a gun on us. Jude... Jude shot him. In the knee."
"Mike and I are on our way with an ambulance. Is Jude okay?" She asked.
I turned to look at Jude. He was just staring at Liam writhing on the ground in pain.
I could see tears leaking from his eyes...
And then he started to chuckle, and it quickly elevated to near hysterical laughter. The tears kept pouring down his cheeks as he guffawed.
"He's, on his knees, staring at him. He's laughing." I said fearfully, "I think he might have lost it. Hurry up and get here."
I hung up the phone and rushed to Jude's side, falling to my own knees and wrapping him in a tight embrace.
Almost immediately, his laughter turned to sobs. Harsh, shoulder shuddering sobs.
"I-I d-didn't m-mean t-to d-d-do that!" He sobbed hysterically, "I-I j-just r-r-reacted! H-he t-threatened y-you!"
"It's okay, JJ. Stef's on her way with Mike. You're okay. I'm okay. It's over." I said, "He tried to assault us. He's going right back to jail. It's over."
"It's over?"
"Over."
I heard sirens in the distance, and five minutes later, Stef and Mike are running toward us. They both had a look of fury on their faces as they approached Liam. Mike forced his hands behind his back and put handcuffs on him.
"Liam Olmstead, you are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law, you have the right to an attorney, if you cannot afford one, one will be assigned to you by the court. Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you?"
Jude and I tuned out as Stef helped us to our feet. Jude shakily replaced his revolver in its holster. Stef walked us to my car, my arms around Jude the whole way.
"Take him home. Take care of him. I'll get your statements later." She said, "I'm so sorry this happened."
"S'not yer fault." Jude mumbled as he got in the car. I nodded at Stef and got in as well.
Five minutes into the drive, I turned to Jude, who had relaxed into the seat of the car.
"You okay?" I asked him.
He turned his head to look at me, and offered a small smile and nod.
"I'm free. I'm finally free."
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