Chapter Twelve! This is kind've just a filler to bridge the gap to the drama. Thanks for the support guys!

After eating and fixing up the room as best they could, the group decided to head out and do some sight-seeing. While Sharon stayed back in the room she booked to catch up on some much needed sleep, Stef and Lena loaded up the kids in the car and set out on a drive around town. With no intended destination, Stef drove around aimlessly.

"Look a park!" Jesus pointed out the window. Stef glanced quickly out the window and her heart did a flop as she recognized the park she had found Callie at last night. She looked in the rearview mirror at Callie who was looking back at her with an unreadable expression on her face.

"Want to stop?" Lena asked, unaware of the location's significance.

"Um…"

"Let's go." Callie interrupted from the back of the car, "It looks nice." Stef spared her one more glance before turning the car towards the park. She found a parking spot along the curb and everyone piled out. Jesus grabbed his skateboard and took off down the path with Jude following close behind, eager to learn how to board. Callie looked across the street and noticed a coffee shop.

"Uh, do you mind if I make a quick coffee run?" she asked, turning to face Stef and Lena. They shared a look and she knew they were still iffy about letting her out of their sight, "Mariana will come with me."

"Okay," Lena finally answered, "Be careful crossing the street and keep your phones close." The girls nodded and walked towards the street. Alone with his mothers, Brandon saw a look of worry on their faces that was not usually there.

"Did something happen?" he asked, "You guys look…off."

Stef ran a hand through her hair, "We had a rough day."

"What happened?" Stef lead Brandon and Lena over to a bench and they took a seat.

"Yesterday at the wake," Stef began carefully, "Callie and Jude's…their dad's mom said some pretty awful things to Callie. She got upset and unfortunately she thought the best solution would be to run away."

Brandon's eyes widened, "Is she okay?"

"Yes and no," Stef answered dubiously, "She needs to work some things out."

"The funeral," Lena mentioned as a side thought, "It's tomorrow."

"Do Callie and Jude want to go?" Brandon asked, looking between the two women.

Stef shrugged, "We'll ask them and see."

Lena placed a hand on Brandon's knee, "Are you alright with making Jude and Callie a part of the family?"

Brandon smiled, "They're already a part of the family." Stef grinned and planted a kiss on the side of his head.

Mariana took a sip of her frappé as she watched Callie stir her coffee. They had been sitting in silence for three minutes and she was starting to feel as if Callie needed to talk to her about something.

"Why did you bring me here?"

Callie looked up from her cup, "I thought you'd want to get something to drink."

Mariana, "Okay, but you could have just come by yourself. Why me? I mean, I'm probably not your favorite person."

Callie furrowed her eyebrows, "Why do you think that?"

"We didn't exactly get along when you first came to live with us," Mariana fiddled with a ring on her index finger, "Then again, I was acting pretty bitchy."

Callie let out a little laugh, "It's fine. I was equally bithcy." She looked up at Mariana, "I'm so sorry about what I said that first night, about Brandon being the real son. It was completely out of line."

Mariana shrugged, "It hurt. Stef and Lena love us, I know that, but sometimes I wonder if…"

"If they'll take it back." Callie finished for her. Noticing the way Mariana's eyes welled with tears, Callie reached across the table and took her hand, "Hey," she said gently, "There's no way Stef and Lena could ever stop loving you and Jesus. They picked you guys for a reason."

"We almost got Stef killed," Mariana said quietly, "Lena was so angry…"

Callie offered a small smile as she recalled a talk she had with Stef, "Sometimes people seem mad when really they're just scared."

"Scared?"

"Of losing you to Ana."

Mariana shook her head, "That's ridiculous."

Callie sat back in her chair, "Not if you think about it." She picked up her cup and blew on it as she turned to look out the window. She could just make out Stef and Lena sitting on a bench with Brandon. What were they talking about?

"Moms love you and Jude too," Mariana interrupted Callie's thoughts.

The older girl shrugged, "This is just temporary."

Mariana rolled her eyes, "Come on Callie! They want you and Jude. All of us do. Didn't you hear Grandma call us your siblings? And Mama, too? Hate to break it to you, but you're a Foster."

Callie gripped her cup tightly, "I don't have a great track record with foster families. I usually screw something up."

"Please," Mariana scoffed, "I contacted my crack-head of a mother behind my parents' backs and sold Jesus' pills and they haven't sent me to an orphanage."

Callie laughed a bit, "Yeah, that's true."

Mariana stood up and slung her purse over her shoulder and Callie followed suit. They made their way outside and waited on the curb for the light to turn red so that they could cross.

"For what it's worth," Mariana said as she watched the traffic light, "I always wanted a big sister." Callie didn't say anything but smiled as she waited to cross.

Brandon looked up from his seat on the bench as Callie and Mariana headed his way. Stef and Lena had gone to check on Jesus and Jude. Mariana tossed her empty cup into a garbage can.

"I'm gonna go find out what we're doing for the rest of the day," she announced, heading down the path. Brandon watched her go before turning his attention back to Callie. He patted the bench, gesturing for her to sit and she did.

"Moms told me what happened yesterday," he started gently, "That you ran away. What did you grandmother say?"

"She's not my grandmother!" Callie snapped immediately. She crossed her arms over her chest and sat back, lips pressed together. Brandon watched her for a moment before leaning back as well.

"Okay," he said finally, "Sorry." They sat without speaking as they watched people occasionally walk down the path.

"The funeral is tomorrow," Callie said quietly, eyes not reaching Brandon's.

He nodded, "Yeah, Moms told me. Are you going?"

Callie shrugged, "I don't want to be where I'm not wanted. Jude should go say bye to his Dad, though."

Brandon raised an eyebrow, "What about you?"

"He's not my dad."

"What?"

"He's not my dad."

A realization came over Brandon as he pieced together what he was hearing with what Stef and Lena had told him earlier. Callie turned her head away to avoid the pitiful look she knew Brandon must be giving her.

Brandon shifted awkwardly in his seat, "Well, if I've learned something growing up with Lena, blood doesn't make you family. If he loved you, that's all that should matter."

Callie turned her head a bit, "But…but what if he didn't?" she asked quietly, insecurity creeping in, "His mom said I was the reason he drank so much."

"Callie, that's not true."

"How do you know?" she asked, turning around fully.

Brandon shrugged, "Because you're amazing," he said simply, "And your dad would have had to been blind not to see that."

Callie held Brandon's gaze, searching for signs of deceit and when she found none she gave a soft smile, "Thank you."

Jesus came down the path on his skateboard with Jude running behind as Stef, Lena and Mariana walked a leisurely pace behind them. Jesus came to a stop in front of Brandon and Callie. He kicked his board up into his hand, "I'm starving," he groaned as he plopped down on the bench, "Let's get lunch."

Brandon rolled his eyes, "We literally just ate an hour ago."

Jude sat down next to Callie and as the rest of the group reached them, Mariana squeezed between Brandon and Jesus. The limited space had Jude almost on Callie's lap and Brandon relocating to the arm of the bench. Lena looked at the kids, her kids: this diverse group that came to be from different places with different stories and she could not be more proud.

She turned to Stef and said in a low voice, "I'm going to call Bill later on and see how soon we can complete the family."

Stef kissed Lena with a smile upon her lips.

SECOND SNOW DAY OF 2014! I was off Monday for MLK day (my boy) and then I had school yesterday (Tuesday) and now we're off today (Wednesday)! I was not expecting the amount of snow. My parents were at work and I had to babysit (two siblings with Autism) so I HAD to get to their house so I was forced to walk one mile.

Let me tell you, I have seen Hell and it isn't fire. It's snow. My jeans literally froze to my thighs. I was half way there and was like "Okay, Olivia. There is a 60% chance you are not going to see tomorrow." I was PRAYING. Obviously I made it (whoo!) and so to thank the Universe I shoveled the pathway and half the driveway of the house I was babysitting at.

Please review! If I get to 100 reviews today, I will post later tonight. Can we do it?! YES WE CAN!

-Liv