Chapter 27.

Callie snuggled closer to Brandon. He wrapped his arms around her, tucking her head under his chin. It was their first night in their new apartment; after a day of unpacking, they'd eaten their first meal, Chinese take out, at their new kitchen table. Now, they were relaxing on the sofa, watching public TV, because the cable wouldn't be hooked up until Monday.

"You know what we need?" Brandon suddenly asked, flicking the television off.

"Hmm?" she mumbled, yawning.

"We need cute pet names," he concluded.

Callie laughed. "You want to be that couple?"

He nodded, smiling playfully. "Humor me. Let's see. You can be... Snuggle Bunny."

"Seriously?" she snorted.

"Now, you come up with one for me," he told her, twisting a piece of her hair around his finger. "Make it a good one."

"Okay," she sighed, after giving it some thought. "You can be Cutie Buns."

"Cutie Buns?" he chuckled. "Do you have a butt fetish or something?"

"Maybe," she giggled, reaching back to pinch his ass.

Brandon stole a kiss, then nuzzled her cheek with his nose. "I love you."

"I love you too," she nodded, kissing him again.

He caressed her cheek with his thumb, looking into her eyes. "I can't wait until we're married. It can't come soon enough."

"I know," she replied. "Neither can I. We should set a date, so we can get invitations out."

"Do you have anything in mind?" he asked her. There wasn't really one significant date in their relationship, as it had been spread out over so much time. They couldn't look back on one specific day and say, 'that was the day I fell in love with you.' Neither of them were even sure when they fell in love; it happened so quietly, neither of them saw it coming until they were kissing in the garden at Stef and Lena's wedding.

Callie gave him a half-smile. "I was kind of thinking of Valentine's Day. Is that too cheesy?"

"No. I think it's romantic," he told her, rubbing her shoulder. "But it's only a month and a half away, and we have to think about food, and decorations, and a venue..."

"Well," she shrugged. "We could have the ceremony and reception in my dad's courtyard, so that would take care of the venue. And as for everything else, the cost isn't really an issue."

He nodded thoughtfully. "Do you think we can pull it off?"

"I think we can," she replied. "I mean, I don't think either of us want anything too elaborate, and Jill knows the right people." Her stepmother threw so many dinner parties and benefits that she practically had her event planner on speed dial.

Brandon tilted her chin up with his fingertips, and brought his lips to hers, kissing her tenderly. "I think it's perfect."

Callie smiled, pleased. "Then, Valentine's Day it is."

Brandon pulled her closer and gave her another kiss, then pressed his forehead against hers. "What do you say we go christen the bedroom?"

She nodded slowly. "I was just thinking the same thing."

Sliding off the couch, Callie followed him to their new room. Once they were inside, they were all over each other, kissing as they undressed.

Brandon's lips were warm and moist against her skin as he lifted her onto the bed, made up with cool, clean sheets. He ran his hands over her curves as he smashed his lips against hers, hungrily. He was already hard, his erection pressing against her belly. She ground against him, causing him to groan.

Minutes later he was moving inside her, her gripping his shoulders, her knuckles white. And then, with a final sigh, he found his release, and she followed.

Afterward, as they lay in each other's arms, coming down from the high. Warm and sleepy, Callie glanced over at the nightstand, where her case of birth control pills sat. And in an instant of panic, she felt her blood run cold when she realized that she couldn't even remember if she'd taken it that day.

Two Weeks Later:

"Hi, honey," said Robert, as he and Sophia approached Callie. "Sorry we're a little late. Traffic's bad downtown."

"It's okay," she shrugged. She and Sophia were going to meet Stef, Lena, and Mariana to go dress shopping, and then out to lunch, just the two of them. It would be the first time her sister spent time with the Fosters in a long time.

Robert reached out to give Callie a quick hug. She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him back; it still felt unfamiliar, and a little bit awkward. Before they parted, he tilted his chin down and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. Then, he took her face between his hands. "I love you, sweetheart," he told her, looking her in the eye.

"I love you too, dad," she smiled, placing her own hand over one of his. "Thanks for bringing Sophia over."

"No problem," he nodded. He turned to kiss Sophia. "Have fun, girls!"

"We will," said Sophia, waving. "Bye, dad!"

"Bye, girls."

Once they were alone, Callie took her sister in her arms. "How are you doing, baby girl?"

"I'm great," she replied, returning the hug. "I can't wait to try on dresses."

"Didn't you hear?" Callie joked. "I've already picked out your dress. It's hot pink lace with ruffles, puffed sleeves, and a giant bow on the butt."

"No way," Sophia laughed, playfully socking her in the arm.

"Get in the car, bug," Callie told her, unlocking the door. "We have to get going to meet the others."

Sophia climbed into the passenger seat, and buckled her seat belt. "I'm a little nervous," she admitted.

"Yeah?" Callie asked, turning the key in the ignition and pulling out of the driveway. "Why?"

"I don't know." She absentmindedly played with the zipper on her jacket. "I've never met Mariana, and I know your moms don't really like my family..." her voice trailed off wistfully.

"Mariana's nice," Callie assured her. "You'll love her. And my moms do like you."

"Are you sure?" her sister asked, sounding not at all sure.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't they?" She glanced over at the teenage girl curiously.

Sophia mumbled something inaudible, still toying with her zipper.

"What was that?" Callie asked, stopping at a red light. "I didn't hear you."

"I said, because I tore up the abandonment papers, and they know it." She sucked in a deep breath. "If I didn't, dad wouldn't have had the chance to change his mind, and you would've been adopted."

"Sophia," Callie sighed. "You were just a kid when you did that. I doubt Stef and Lena are holding some kind of grudge against you for it." She patted her sister's knee. "Has that been bothering you all these years?"

She feebly nodded. "Yeah. Sort of." She wriggled in her seat. "I ruined your life."

Suddenly, Callie pitied her little sister. She knew what it was like to have a deep, dark secret eating away at you. "You didn't ruin my life," she told her. "I... I kind of ruined my own life."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I spent the last three years being miserable, you know? I was so angry at dad, Jill, and Stef, that I didn't let myself enjoy anything. And I could've spent more time with the Fosters, but I chose not to."

"And you hurt yourself," Sophia reminded her, her eyes shadowed with sadness.

"And that," she nodded. "I'm only now figuring out how wrong I was about everything."

"If you could go back, " Sophia asked, "would you want to live with the Fosters or us?" She watched her expectantly, waiting for an answer.

"That's a hard question." It was hard; there were so many things she knew now that she didn't know then. Even just weeks ago, she would've told her sister she'd choose the Fosters without a second thought, but now, things had changed.

"I think I'd stay with you guys," she finally admitted. "If I'd gotten adopted, Brandon and I wouldn't be together right now. We'd be brother and sister. And," she added, "I might not have gotten to know you."

She turned into the bridal shop parking lot, looking for an available parking space. "But if I could go back, I'd handle things a lot differently than I did." First and foremost, she wouldn't let herself and Jude grow apart. And she wouldn't give Robert such a hard time, because she would understand how much she truly loved her. She recalled something Caitlin said a while back, when she was still fighting her feelings for Brandon; 'you're not seeing the big picture.' She wasn't then, but now, it was becoming clearer every day.

She found a space and parked the car, just as her moms and Mariana crossed the parking lot. "Looks like we're just in time, kiddo." The unbuckled their seat belts, and climbed out of the car.

"So, did you have fun today?" Callie asked Sophia, as she set a few dollars on the table of the restaurant for a tip.

"It was the best day ever!" Sophia told her excitedly. She and Mariana had hit it off right away. They had a great time trying on gowns together. Callie had chosen a dark, sophisticated shade of blue for the wedding, and Sophia and Mariana's navy bridesmaid dresses were long and silky, almost sweeping floor. Caitlin, though she couldn't make it for the shopping trip that day, would wear the same gown, as Callie's maid of honor; if it wasn't for her, Callie and Brandon might not have ever gotten together. Callie had also found a wedding dress, white with a navy blue sash. The strapless bodice was embellished with sparkling crystals. She'd never dreamed she'd own anything so beautiful.

As they drove down the road, headed home, Callie spotted a pharmacy out of the corner of her eye. On impulse, she turned into it, as something she'd been trying to put out of her head suddenly surfaced.

"What are we doing here?" Sophia asked.

"I just have to grab something really quick," Callie told her. "Can you wait here?"

Sophia nodded, and Callie climbed out of the car. Hurrying, she went into the store, straight to the Family Planning aisle, grabbed the first pregnancy test she saw, and brought it to the register.

To Be Continued... uh oh. Is Callie pregnant?