Hey guys! Short AN. Just wanted to say, so excited for Christmas special yay! And this chapter is a little weird but I really liked it so I hope you guys do to. Enjoy! :)
xxxxx
"Football." Caleb says walking into the dining room where Stef is sorting through bills. Stef looks over the bridge of her glasses at her eldest son.
"What?" She asks and Caleb hands her pamphlets for different football teams.
"Football. The sport I want to play is football, you said I had to choose." Caleb says and Stef takes off her glasses and looks at one.
"Lena!" Stef calls and continues to look at the information.
"Yes?" Lena walks down the stairs and Caleb turns to look at her.
"Our precious, precious boy has made an extra-curricular choice." Stef says with a half amused smile, knowing exactly how Lena will respond.
"Oh ya?" Lena smiles and runs her hand through Caleb's hair. They recently came up with a rule that
Caleb is allowed to wear his hat everywhere but in the house. Shortly after that rule they realized that he was in need of a hair cut, but he wouldn't let them cut it.
"Football." Caleb says with a smile. Lena's smile fades and she looks at Stef's amused look.
"Football?" Lena asks and Caleb nods in confirmation.
"You said I could choose." Caleb says noticing the panicked look on Lena's face.
"You are right." Stef says jumping in before Lena could object.
"So I can play?" Caleb confirms and Lena forces a smile and nods stiffly.
"Awesome. I'm going to pick a team." Caleb smiles and runs up the stairs. The mothers don't speak until they hear Caleb's door close.
"Football?!" Lena whispers and sits across from Stef.
"You said he could choose." Stef says leaning back in her chair.
"Yea but I didn't realize he would choose football." Lena whines and Stef laughs.
"He will be fine." Stef picks up a bill and hands it to Lena. "But our electricity bill not so much."
"It will be too much." Lena says looking at the bill and putting it on the table.
"Honey, we have to pay it. We just have to keep light usage to a minimum." Stef says looking at a bill.
"No, not the lights, Caleb. It will be too much. He will fall behind in school. He can't afford to if he is planning on going to the 6th grade next year." Lena says and Stef takes her glasses off.
"He will be fine love. We want him in a sport. It will channel his energy and we have Gabby. The best tutor around." Stef smiles and Lena gives her a half smile back.
"Fine, but one grade slip, and he is joining chess club." Lena stands up and walks out the dining room leaving Stef with the bills.
"Oh it's fine, I can handle these." Stef yells up and is responded with the master door shutting.
xxxxxx
"Ok, I think you're all set." Stef adjusts Caleb's helmet and smiles at him. "You better be really good, because Mama is not happy about you playing football. But you're going to be fine." Stef smiles and checks him over one last time.
"Is that why she's not here?" Caleb asks and Stef looks at him.
"Oh buddy, she didn't want to miss it, but she had a meeting." Stef explains and hands him a Gatorade. "You are going to do fine, and Mama can't wait to hear about it." Stef smiles and taps his helmet.
"Ok." Caleb reluctantly runs over to where to team is gathering and Stef watches him before climbing the bleachers and finding a good seat. She watches them warm-up and watches clave get placed in different positions. At wide receiver he caught the ball but dropped it when he got hit. At running back, he fumbled when he got hit. At linebacker he couldn't hit hard enough. Stef sighed as she watched Caleb be placed at quarterback.
"You're new." Stef hears the statement and turns to see a woman sitting behind her.
"Yes, Stefanie Foster. How can you tell?" Stef sticks her hand out and the woman takes it.
"You cringe every time your boy gets hit. I remember that feeling." Stef gives her a guilty smile.
"How did you get passed it?" Stef asks and the woman laughs.
"You never really do, but take comfort in the fact that, they don't feel it unless it's bad. They bruise, they cut, but they don't feel it unless it's bad."
"So if he is complaining..."
"It's bad." The wan finishes and Stef laughs nervously.
"I will have to tell me wife. Though she might try to force a complaint out of him." Stef jokes and the woman laughs.
"I'm Stacey, my boy is number 10, his name is Caiden." The woman introduces.
"Stef, my boy is number 6, his name is Caleb." Stacey smiles and nods.
"Well it looks like they are giving your boy a go at quarterback." Stef turn back to the field and watches the coaches show him how to stand and what to call and what do look for.
"Hey." Stef hears before feeling hot lips on her cold cheek. She turns to see Lena with a nervous look on her face.
"Hey." Stef smiles.
"Meeting got out early and I sat in my office debating on if I should stay and pretend or support my son." Lena says and Stef watches her.
"I see you chose the latter." Stef comments and Lena nods.
"What did I miss?" Stef looks out on the field and sees Caleb calling a play.
"They are trying him at quarterback." Stef informs taking Lena's hand.
xxxxxxx
Hit. Drop. Get yelled at.
Hit. Drop. Get yelled at.
"Jacobs! Go to Cornerback."
"Foster. My last name is Foster." Caleb corrects and he can hear some of the kids laughing.
"Well, well. If it isn't Jacobs." The kid teases and Caleb can feel his blood boiling.
"My last name is Foster." Caleb corrects getting more and more frustrated. All day, he has gotten hit and yelled at and try keep calling him Jacobs.
"Whatever just stay out my way." The kid says before taking off running. Caleb takes off after him and with all his power, hits the kid and he falls to the ground.
"Foster!" He hears the coach yell and Caleb get up and feels bad immediately.
"I'm sorry, so so so sorry." He looks up at the bleachers and sees Stef turned around talking to some lady.
"Don't apologize for playing. That's the hardest you've hit all practice." The kid gets up and hit his helmet.
"Good job. But you aren't a cornerback." The coaches get them and the kid looks at them.
"Quarterback. He's a quarterback." The coaches look at Caleb and nod.
"Let's try it." Caleb looks at him.
"How did you know?" Caleb asks him.
"I heard you talking to your mom before practice. Don't let your mom dress you anymore either. I will help you figure out your gear. I'm Caiden."
"Caleb."
"Cool. Let's go get you ready to play quarterback." Caleb nods and follows him back to the coaches. They show him how to stand, and what to say, but all Caleb can hear is his heartbeat. He keeps his face stoic, but his beating heart and his sweaty palms are starting to give away just how nervous he actually is.
"Ready?" The coach says and caleb snaps his head up.
"What?" Caleb says and the coach pushes him towards the huddle.
"I want a white smack double fall." The coach tells him and before caleb could ask the coach is running back to the sidelines and the offense is huddling around him.
"Well?" Caiden asks and Caleb looks at him.
"Well what?"
"What's the play stupid." An offensive tackle asks and a kid next to him hits him.
"White smack double fall?" Caleb repeats.
"Was that a question or is that the play?" The linemen asks and he receives a few snickers.
"Ready?" Caiden takes over and Caleb looks at him. "Break!" The whole huddle says together with a clap. They all run to their positions and Caiden pats his shoulder.
"You got this, be a leader." Caiden runs to his position and Caleb stands behind the center.
"Ready!" Caleb calls out, his voice breaking slightly from nervousness. He hears a few of the linemen laugh but he clears his throat and closes his eyes for a minute.
'Come on Caleb' he scolds himself before opening his eyes.
"Hut!" The center hikes the ball into his hands and he falls back and looks for an open receiver. He feels the pressure and moves out of the pocket and sees Caiden with his right hand up. He drops back and throws the ball with force and it lands right into Caiden's hands and he runs in for the touchdown.
Stef and Lena both jump up and cheer in excitement. They see other parents standing up and cheering and feel a sense of pride knowing that was there son.
Caleb, on the other hand, stands in his spot, completely shocked that he was capable of that. He feels pats on his helmet and shoulder pads, but he remains in his spot completely shocked with himself.
"Hey kid." He feels the coach pulls his face mask and he looks at the coach. "How would you feel about being a quarterback?" The coach smiles and Caleb nods.
"Good, see you tomorrow." The coach smiles and hits the side of his helmet before walking away.
"Hey Foster!" Caiden jogs over and Caleb takes his helmet off and looks at him. "Nice throw." Caiden smiles at him and sticks out his hand.
"See you tomorrow." Caleb shakes his hand and Caiden runs over to where his mom is. Caleb watches before turning and looking for his own mom. He sees Stef standing by the bleachers and waving. He walks over and Stef smiles and runs his hand through his sweaty hair when he reaches her.
"How was it?" Stef smiles and Caleb shrugs his shoulders.
"It was fine." Caleb smiles and Stef laughs.
"Well you were a little superstar out there." Stef says and Caleb shrugs his shoulders again.
"Whatever." Caleb says and Stef laughs.
"Well I think this mom wants to get you some ice cream." Stef says and Caleb laughs.
"But this mom says you need to be hydrated." Caleb turns to see Lena behind him and Caleb can't help but to smile.
"Ma- Lena!" Caleb smiles and Lena pushes hair out his face.
"What do you say to a haircut?" Lena asks and Caleb shakes his head.
"No way." Caleb says and Stef laughs.
"Ya mama, no way." Stef copies sarcastically as the all start walking to the car.
xxxxxx
"17." Caleb says looking in the mirror with nothing but compression shorts on. He looks at Jesus who is sitting on Caleb's bed reading directions.
"Dude, that's awesome." Jesus says looking up and at his brother.
"17 bruises, and counting. I have practice today so maybe more later." Caleb pulls on a long sleeve under armor shirt and his football pants.
"Ok, so we have to use nails." Jesus says and Caleb sits on his bed and looks at the directions. "Do you think moms will let us?" Jesus asks and Caleb nods.
"They said we could build it." Caleb says and Jesus agrees.
"Our model airplane is going to be the best model airplane ever." Jesus says confidently.
"Well first we have to get nails." Caleb says standing up and handing Jesus a walkie talkie. "I will go to the garage and find some. You keep me updated on Stef and Lena's positions." Caleb explains and Jesus nods.
"Ok, but what about a hammer?" Jesus asks and Caleb shakes his head.
"To obvious, we will use a remote or something." Caleb tells him as he clips the walkie talkie to his pants and put on his socks.
"Alright, let's do it." Jesus hands Caleb his Nike slip on sandals and puts on his own shoes. The boys make their way down the stairs and into the kitchen where both moms are talking and laughing between themselves.
"Hey boys." Lena greets, being the first one to seem them.
"Hey." Jesus smiles and climbs on a stool.
"I'm going to look for Callie." Caleb excuses and starts for the back door.
"She's upstairs sweets." Stef tells him and Caleb turns and laughs nervously.
"Did I say Callie, I meant something that's outside." Caleb smiles and rushes out the back door. Stef and Lena give each other confused looks before looking at Jesus.
"What's up with your brother?" Stef asks with a smile and Jesus shrugs his shoulders.
"Have no idea. But I do think we should revisit snack." Jesus says picking up a box of goldfish.
"No way mister. That's Caleb's, it's the only thing he will eat at school." Lena takes the box from ways and replaces it with pretzels. Jesus takes the pretzels and looks into the back yard where Caleb is exiting the garage.
"Ok moms, thanks!" Jesus runs out the kitchen and the moms watch him.
"Ok what's going on?" Stef gets up and looks in the back yard where Jesus and Caleb are hunched over counting something.
"Do you want to bust them, or shall I?" Lena says walking up next to her wife.
"I will take this one." Stef says and Lena can't help but to laugh. Stef open the back door quietly and listens to they hushed whispers of her sons.
"Just hold them." Caleb whispers and Jesus shakes his head.
"No way, we have to put them in something." Jesus whispers back and Caleb shakes his head.
"To obvious." Caleb says and Stef finds her opening.
"He's right." She whispers and both boys turn and look at her. When they spot her they jump up and hide their collection of nails.
"Ok, spit it out." Stef says and the boys look at each other before looking back at her.
"Ok, step aside." Stef says and the boys move to the side and Stef sees their pile of nails and looks at the boys.
"Where did you get these?" Stef asks and the boys look at their feet.
"Start talking, one of you." Stef says, gone is her playful voice. She looks at both boys.
"We wanted to build are model airplane, and it said we needed nails." Jesus speaks up and Stef looks at the nails.
"Boys..." Stef sighs and bends down to eye level. "You could've asked, I would've helped you. Most of these nails are old and rusty, and if you would've poked yourself with one, you can get really sick." Stef explains and Jesus looks at his mom but Caleb keeps his head down.
"Stuff like this is really dangerous." Stef says and Jesus nods.
"But Caleb is 10 mommy." Jesus says and Stef nods.
"I know you think 10 is a big boy Jesus, but it's only two years older than 8. Caleb is not old enough to do this by himself and neither are you." Stef says to him gently and looks at Caleb.
"You are the kid know, Caleb. When you have question or need help, you come to me and Lena. You don't do it by yourself." Stef says and Caleb nods his head, still looking down.
"Hand over the walkies." Stef holds out bother her hands and both boys groan.
"Two days." Stef says as the boys place them in each hand.
"Go get your gear." Stef says to Caleb before kissing his head.
"I love you boys, but you need to be more careful." Stef says and both boys nod before running into the house. Stef picks up the nails and throws them out before walking back into the house and placing the walkie talkies on the table.
"It went well I take it." Lena says and Stef laughs sarcastically.
"Ya." Stef answers and Lena walks over to her and wraps her arms around her.
"You wouldn't have it any other way." Lena says into her shoulder. Stef smiles and looks at her wife.
"No I wouldn't." Stef kisses her.
xxxxxx
"Callie! Jude! Let's go." Stef calls up the stairs and Lena old over at Caleb who is sitting on the couch trying hard to focus on a cartoon.
"Are you sure you don't want to go?" Stef asks and Caleb doesn't respond.
"Ok. Do you want me to tell your dad anything?" Stef asks and Caleb again doesn't respond.
"Ok." Stef sighs and looks at her watch.
"Stef can you help?" Callie asks coming down the stairs with one shoe on and the other in her hand.
"Yes I can love." Stef says putting her keys in her jacket pocket. She takes the shoe from Callie and helps her slide it on.
"There you go." Stef smiles and looks at her.
"You look beautiful." Stef smiles and Callie looks down at her dress and sandals.
"Lena helped." Callie reports and Stef laughs.
"She has great taste." Stef says and Lena comes down the stairs with Jude.
"I'm a catch." Lena says and Callie laughs.
"Alright guys. All set?" Lena asks looking at them and then looking at Caleb.
"Hasn't moved all morning." Stef says and Lena nods.
"I will be here. Call me when you get there." Lena says and Stef nods.
"Of course." Stef kisses Lena and walks to the door.
"Alright babies, have fun. See you in a little bit." Lena smiles and pulls Callie and Jude into a hug.
"Bye mama." Jude says before walking out the door with Callie. Lena looks up at Stef as soon as she hears it and Stef smiles before walking out the door with the two kids. Lena stands at the door for a minute and enjoys the moment before turning to look at Caleb.
"What are you watching?" She asks walking into the living room as taking a seat on the couch. Caleb doesn't move or speak and Lena looks at the TV.
"I was looking at some pictures of your mom." Lena says and she sees Caleb's head move slightly towards her.
"You have her eyes. Very beautiful, very captivating." Lena says and she sees Caleb's eyes drop to his lap.
"Your mom was a good mom. I can tell. Us moms think the same way. We want the same things for our kids. Dream the same dreams, wish the same wish." Lena says again. "She would want you to go see your dad, to get some closure so you could move on. That what I would want." Lena pats Caleb's leg before getting up and leaving him.
About ten minutes later, Lena is in the den looking over some paper work when Caleb walks in and looks at her.
"I can't tie a tie." Caleb's voice catches her attention and she looks up to see Caleb in dress pants and a dress shirt and dress shoes, but no tie.
"That's ok." Lena stands up ad walks over to him. She starts tying his tie and he looks up at her.
"Can we make a stop first?" Caleb asks and Lena smiles at him.
xxxxx
"This is the last place mom took us." Caleb says getting out of the car and walking on to the play structure. Lena walks around the car and watches as Caleb brushes his hands against certain areas of the park.
"She said that we can't forget to be kids." Caleb jumps and climbs onto the monkey bars. Lena smiles and watches him go up and down the monkey bars.
"Caleb.." Lena says and Caleb drops from the monkey bars.
"I'm still a kid. What my dad did, I shouldn't have to accept that. I'm just a kid." Caleb says his emotions starting to kick up.
"I know." Lena says walking closer to him.
"I just want to be a kid. I want to be a kid. I want my mom and I want to be a kid." Caleb says and when Lena reaches him, her contact opens the flood gates and Caleb starts crying.
"Oh love." Lena holds him against her as he cries. She holds him, in the middle of a park, as he cries. She doesn't notice the looks of by standers, or the stares of other parents, all she notices is her baby in pain, and all she wants to do is fix it.
xxxxx
"You guys ready?" Stef asks as they approach the prison.
"Ya, I think so." Callie says and looks at Jude.
"Ok." Stef smiles and takes Jude's hand.
"Come on." They walk towards the gates but Stef stops when she hears her phone start to ring.
"Hold on guys." Stef checks the caller ID and answers it.
"Lena? Everything ok?" Stef asks looking at the kids.
"Ya just wait right there." Lena answers and Stef scrunches we eye brows.
"What?" Stef asks and Lena pulls up and Caleb jumps out the car.
"Caleb!" Callie and Jude run over to him and Caleb hugs his brother and sister.
"Sorry, had to learn how to tie a tie." Caleb smiles and Stef kisses his head.
"Glad to see you picked it up." Stef smiles and Caleb looks at Callie and Jude.
"Ready?" Caleb takes their hands and Stef looks at Lena.
"How did you do it?" Stef asks and Lena smiles.
"I'm a mom. I work miracles everyday." Lena kisses Stef. "See you when you get home." Stef smiles and watches her wife drive away before walking up to the kids.
"Ok, let's do this." Stef smiles and walks to the gate.
xxxxx
"So how are you kids?" Donald asks and Caleb stares at his hands and Callie looks at Jude.
"Happy." She smiles and looks bak at her dad.
"Good." He smiles and looks at Caleb. "I have some good news." He says and Stef who is taking a special interest in a reader digest stops reading and starts listening.
"My sister, your aunt. She has agreed to take you guys in while I'm in here." Donald says and Callie looks at her dad.
"We are happy at the Fosters." Callie says and Donald nods.
"I understand that, but she's family Callie." Donald says and Caleb shakes his head.
"Like that means anything to you." Caleb says and Donald looks at him.
"Thanks, but no thanks." Caleb stands up but Donald stops him. Stef sets the magazine down and starts to get up.
"Don't walk away from me." Caleb shrugs off Donald and looks at him.
"I only came here for one reason, for mom. Not you. I've paid my dues, I'm done." Caleb walks to Stef.
"Can we go?" He pleads and Stef nods.
"Of course baby."
xxxxxx
"Bill." Stef says as she opens the door.
"We weren't expecting a visit." Stef says looking down at her pajamas.
"Ya, I apologize I know it's late." Stef steps aside and let's Bill in.
"No problem, is everything ok?" Stef looks at Bill and Bill smiles sadly.
"I'm here for the kids." Bill says and Stef looks at him.
"I'm sorry." Stef asks and Lena comes down the stairs her arms crossed over her chest.
"Hey Bill." Lena says coming down the stairs.
"Lena." Bill greets and Lena looks at Stef.
"What's going on?" Lena asks and Bill looks at them.
"We should sit."
xxxxx
"Bill?" Caleb walks into the living room and both Stef and Lena quickly wipe away their tears and stand up.
"Hey, buddy. Bill was just telling us some good news." Stef says wiping off a tear and looking at Bill.
"Turns out the aunt that your dad was telling you about, is real, and she would love for you guys to come and stay." Bill smiles and Caleb just stares at him.
"You're pulling us?" Caleb asks and Bill shakes his head.
"We found you a permanent home, this is a good thing." Bill says and Caleb looks at Stef and Lena.
"Where exactly is this aunt?" Caleb asks looking back at Bill.
"She is in Florida." Bill informs
"Florida." Caleb repeats. "And you two are ok with this?" Caleb looks back at Stef and Lena.
"They have no choice." Bill answers for them.
"I was asking them." Caleb looks at Bill.
"Caleb-" Lena starts but Caleb shakes his head.
"I'm not going unless you kick me out. Unless you make me go, I'm not going." Caleb walks out of the living room and back up the stairs.
xxxxxx
"No! No! You promised me! You promised it would be ok! That we wouldn't leave!" Caleb yells, tears clouding his eyes.
"I don't want to go to stupid Florida! I hate Florida!" Caleb kicks over a bag and Lena can hardly take the pain and just walks over and wraps him in a hug. Stef watches as he struggles for a second before melting into her embrace. Stef picks up Caleb's hat and walks over to the sobbing boy. Lena pulls back so Stef can place his hat on his head.
"This is not over, you hear me? It's not over." Stef cries and Caleb stays looking at his feet, tears falling on his shoes.
xxxxxxxxx
"Ok, what about emergency custody?" Stef says flipping through a DCS handbook.
"Won't work." Lena says looking through a legal handbook.
"The kids don't even know this lady, she could be a danger. We demand the court assess her ability to be a care giver and use that time to apply for adoption." Stef closes the handbook and throws her hands in the air.
"Stef it won't work. DCS would never place them unless they already assessed her."
"DCS isn't this awe inspiring organization Lena. They place kids in dangerous situations all the time, and right now they could be doing that to our kids." Stef sighs and sits down on a stool.
"Stef, Caleb and Callie and Jude, they are good kids, but they aren't ours."
"What?" Stef says looking at her wife.
"We keep beating ourselves up saying they took our kids, they sent away our kids, they were supposed to be staying here for a while, not becoming apart of our family." Lena stands up and looks at her wife, obvious pain in her eyes.
"Lena.."
"No Stef. No. I thought, it would be a simple stay, and it turned into something much more. It turned unit me falling in love with those kids. And now they are gone, and it feels like a hole is being ripped through my chest and I can't do anything about it. I read these stupid laws and it's just more and more facts that we can't get them back. I can't get our babies back." Lena sobs and Stef stands up and pulls her into a tight hug. "I want them back." Lena sobs into Stef shoulder and she rubs her back slowly.
xxxxxx
"It's been a month." Brandon says at dinner and the clinking of forks on plates stop and everyone looks at him.
"It's been a month and we haven't heard from them. You said it would be soon, that they would be back in no time." Brandon says and Stef looks over at Lena who refuses to meet her gaze.
"It's taking a little longer than we thought B." Stef answers and looks back at her plate.
"How much longer? Caleb and I were building a model plane, and it still needs to be painted." Jesus says not looking up from his plate.
"I'm not sure how much longer." Stef answers and Jesus stabs a green bean with his fork.
"In a month, someone's hair can grow up to an inch. I bet you Caleb's hair is super long now." Mariana speaks up and the whole family can't help but to crack a smile.
xxxxxxx
"Foster, I need the reports on the break in." Her captain says peaking her head out her office and looking at Stef's desk.
"I'm on it cap." Stef says and signs another report.
"Ooooo, it's paperwork day." Harry cringes as he sits in the chair by her desk.
"Yea, tell me about it. Some of these I don't even remember." Stef says signing another one.
"Guess you have to take your word for it." Harry smiles and Stef looks at him.
"Don't you have some of your own to worry about." Harry laughs and stands up.
"Hey, don't be grumpy with me because you decided to slack of on some work." Harry walks away and Stef shakes her head before signing another.
After several more files and a coffee spill later, Stef is making her way out of the precinct and to her car. She unlocks it as she checks her phone from anything from her wife, or hopefully something from DCS, but there is nothing.
"Can I catch a ride?" Stef jumps at the sudden intrusion of a voice in her thoughts but recognizes it and turns to see where it came from. She sees Caleb, who looks to be a few inches taller, with jeans and a sweater, his hair still the same length, and his baseball cap on.
"I promised Jill, the DCS lady who is handling our transport, that I would not leave the Dairy Queen, but I did." Caleb smiles and Stef can't help but to drop everything and walk over to her son.
"Caleb." She pulls him into a hug and kisses his head serval times.
"You can stop now." Caleb laughs and Stef pulls back and looks at him without even wiping her tears.
"How are you here? What happened to the aunt?" Stef asks and Caleb shrugs his shoulder.
"She tried to put us in bible school and one of the kids said having two moms is bad and I said I have two moms and I beat him up. So she sent us back for being difficult." Caleb shrugs and Stef tries to be stern with him but can't find the fine or the need to.
"You don't fight." Stef says and Caleb nods.
"I know."
"You called us moms?" Stef asks and Caleb shrugs again.
"Whatever." He smiles and Stef pulls him into another hug.
"Get in, I have some explaining to do, to Jill from DCS."
xxxxx
So that's the end of this chapter. Do you think Lena and Stef will get the kids back? Review!