Made up with the response to the last chapter - thank you all for the reviews! I'm glad you liked it. In response to the Guest comment (as I can't reply via PM) - you can bet this story will resurface so you may find your suggestion in some form or another appear a bit further down the line. Quite a sweet chapter to follow - this was definitely one of my favourites to write so I hope you enjoy it.
"Am I interrupting?" Stef poked her head round the door as the two girls looked across. Callie slid her body up to be sitting and smiled compassionately at Stef.
"You OK?" Callie asked as she began to walk over.
Stef gave her a small wink and a nod and scootched onto the bottom of the bed. She patted Kasey to lift up her legs up so she could slip underneath them.
Kasey stayed staring at the ceiling but didn't protest her Mom's attendance.
"I feel like such an idiot." She said without breaking her gaze.
Callie scooped her own legs up to her chest and brushed back a strand of Kasey's hair.
Stef patted her daughter on the leg.
"It's not as bad as you think, babe." She said beginning to rub her daughter's calf.
"I don't care if he was smoking or not, Mom. After everything you've done for him...how could he even think of bringing that in here? Risking everything." Her voice was calm but clearly trying to fight back from breaking loose.
"What was his reason?" Callie asked looking at Stef.
"Well, I'll let Evan give you the details..."
"I don't want to talk to him." Kasey cut her off as Stef raised her eyebrows and let the comment slide before continuing.
"Well...basically it seems he took it off a friend to stop them from smoking it and destroy it but dropped them somehow. Then he forgot about it and never noticed them missing."
Kasey scoffed.
"Why, do you think he's lying?" Stef asked with a hint of cynicism.
"No." Kasey replied bluntly. "That sounds about right. I just wish he would think for about 5 seconds before he risks his butt for one of his loser friends."
Stef and Callie shared another look.
"Come on Kasey, he may drive you crazy but it's what make him him." Callie said trying to comfort her.
"So that means I can't be mad?"
"Of course you can be mad, sweets. As long as you keep things in perspective." Stef rubbed her leg again.
"So. What did you decide to do anyway? I assume you're going to kick him out." Her words were now sounding bitter. She didn't manage to hide the small tear that slipped out as well as she was hiding the sadness in her voice.
Callie looked across as Stef with concern. She didn't want Evan to go either.
Stef took a deep breath. "What we decided was it had to be up to you." This made Kasey look across at her Mom for the first time since she sat down.
"What do you mean? I have to decide whether we kick him out or not?"
Stef started to play with her fingers slightly nervous.
"Well, we have come up with a way we think we can get the message across without throwing him out, all things considered. However, we'll not keep him here if you are not comfortable with us doing so. I mean if this is going to make it hard for you to deal with..."
"I don't mean that..." Kasey cut her off, her voice becoming slightly more animated. "I mean, just because I'm mad at him doesn't mean I want to lose him. I mean...Mom's never thrown you out."
"He-ey!" Stef giggled defensively slapping her slightly on the leg. Kasey flickered a smile before suppressing it again.
"So if Kasey doesn't want him kicked out, and you guys aren't throwing him out..." Callie asked hopefully... "he's staying?"
"Well we haven't spoken to him yet...and provided I don't end up beating him to death while we are doing so I guess it looks that way."
Callie couldn't help but smile.
"I think that's a good decision." She said. "Though if he makes you this upset again I'll personally kick him out of the state."
"If he does something like this again he won't make it to the state border." Stef added nonchalantly.
"Mom, I can't talk to him yet." Kasey added having dazed through Stef and Callie's exchange.
Stef rubbed her leg. "That's up to you babe. Just because you are in the same house doesn't mean you can't have some space. That's why we have this setup - to take that pressure away."
Kasey nodded quietly, wiping another tear.
"When we talk to him later I'll tell him to give you some time, OK?"
Kasey nodded again not saying anything. She now knew she couldn't hold the crying back any more. If she opened her mouth then it would come out. Now she knew Evan was safe she was more overwhelmed than anything else. It had been a long and stressful hour.
"OK." Stef said quietly. She slipped out from underneath Kasey's legs and Callie slid off the bed.
Stef bent down and kissed Kasey's head brushing back her hair as Kasey wiped back another tear.
"You'll get past this." She whispered, carefully pushing herself back up and resting her hand on Kasey's. "The first fight always feels like it will be the end...but your Mom and me are living proof that it isn't." She then squeezed her hand and felt a small spark in her heart as Kasey squeezed back for a few seconds. She may have been 18 but it was comforting for Stef to still feel needed. Callie followed Stef out the room and they paused just outside the door.
"I think she feels they let you down." Callie said with a sigh.
Stef now placed a hand on Callie's cheek. "Well, Kasey hasn't obviously. I can't pretend I'm not upset with Evan - but I've had some time to cool. Kasey's right though, if only he would occasionally rub some brain cells together. This won't be the last time impacts their relationship. Mind you, if Kasey's anything like me - which we know she is - then the screw ups won't all be on Evan's part."
"That's a very good point." Callie commented.
Stef threw her a look. "Hey I was thinking aloud. You're not allowed to agree with that." She scolded as Callie hid a smirk.
"What would you rather I say?" she laughed.
"I dunno...'don't be ridiculous Mom. You never screw things up with Lena'.
"Of course...sorry. Don't be ridiculous. You never screw things up with Lena. I mean that whole forgetting your first wedding anniversary...totally not your fault..." Stef furrowed her brow about to protest as Callie continued "or that time you drove Mariana to that concert Lena had banned her from because you didn't actually listen to the voicemail that you said you had..."
"OK, OK" Stef said putting a hand over Callie's face and pushing her back towards her bedroom. "Go be there for your sister, scoot." She said slapping her lightly on the butt as Callie threw her back one more cheeky smile. Stef batted her hand at her in the air before smiling herself. It quickly evaporated though remembering that now she had to face Evan again.
This time Stef poked her head around Evan's door. He lay in a similar position to how Kasey had been.
Stef wandered down the steps and coughed to announce her arrival. He immediately snapped up straight and crossed his legs on the bed.
Stef heaved herself next to him.
"Well I've spoken with Lena and we'll go join her later but I wanted to have a talk with you first."
"Any reason in particular?" Evan asked nervously.
"No witnesses?" Stef suggested with mock aggression.
Evan pulled back slightly.
"OK then...I'm ready." He said.
"Oh you're ready are you?" She replied mockingly. "Fine. Well, first of all..."
She paused before slapping him upside the back of the head.
"O-ha-how!" He responded through a small laugh. "I thought you didn't hit your kids!" He protested rubbing the back of his head.
"As you've pointed out before - you're not my kid!" She responded sternly. This was actually easier for Evan to deal with. He figured if she was hitting him she at least was no longer stewing. That was a lot more painful.
"That's for putting your ass on the line to cover for someone else's stupidity or recklessness."
In all fairness that was something Evan was guilty of.
"Secondly - do you have any idea what kind of a heart attack you gave me seeing that pot in this house? Do you have any idea the thoughts that ran through my head? The fear, the possibilities, the anger, the disappointment?"
"I know...I'm sorry." Again, even if he wasn't the one who brought the weed into the house he still knew it was a misjudgement to not destroy it straight away.
"Thirdly, you seem to have somehow convinced Lena not to throw you out. Now you have to convince me. So tell me. Why should I allow you to stay in this house?" Stef lied, prompting Evan's face to drop.
"Mrs F, I don't want to have to convince you. I only want to be here if you want me to stay. You don't owe me anything. If you want me to go, I'll go."
"Hey, I'm asking the questions here. I want you to tell me why to show you understand what your responsibilities here are. You're not here as a pity case or a stray, you're here as an adult. Now answer me." she folded her arms and stared him down.
"I...well...if I have to...I guess it's because I can help you out. I mean...like I did with Jesus. Like, and not because you guys don't do a great job - and I mean I wish I'd had two moms...but I can sorta help with the guy stuff." Evan's voice quivered a bit. He found it hard trying to justify his uses, he was too modest to see any use he could bring but he did suddenly think of the whole reason he was in this situation. "Because I know that if one of your kids came to me with a problem I could support them like my own family. Because that feels sorta like what you are now..." his voice trailed off. Stef gulped back a smile at Evan's sincerity but was trying hard not to show emotion. "I mean, I may not always make the smartest decisions, but I'd do anything I could to protect them, even if it may be at my own expense sometimes. Kasey means the world to me. I'd do anything to..." his voice trailed off as he thought about her. All the things they had gone through and all the things he would do for her. This was gut wrenchingly honest and for a flicker of a second Stef wondered if there was more to it. Evan looked down at the bed and Stef slowly danced her tongue against her bottom lip.
"and I know it makes her happier...that is...if she ever speaks to me again." Evan put his head back against the wall.
Stef rubbed his leg. "She'll get past it Evan. The first major fight is hard...but inevitable. Especially when you have two people as stubborn and reckless as you two! It's a volatile combination of traits, trust me." Stef was once again examining her own experience.
"Just give her some space tonight. You may be in the same house but this isn't a normal situation and we all need time to process things, OK?"
Evan nodded gently before turning to Stef, slightly confused.
"You said we're living in the same house...so...does that mean?"
Stef shook her head with as much of a smile she could muster through her tiredness and still lingering anger.
"Evan I would have thought that you knew by now we don't tend to throw people out on the street when they screw up. We prefer to keep them close" she said with slight menace.
Evan still didn't smile but he did feel relief. He was just so relieved that it seemed he was going to get away with it. Whatever punishment Stef and Lena would dole out he would rather it was him getting it than Jesus. He also knew that if he had been thrown out Jesus would probably feel forced to confess.
"So...where does that leave us then?" he asked earnestly.
"Well...Lena has come up with a way we think you can make up for it."
His brow furrowed slightly.
"Wait so...you were never going to throw me out?"
"Well...probably not. But don't think that means we'd never consider it if this arrangement proved to have any impact on our kids. Especially Kasey. Just remember Evan, first and foremost you're our daughter's boyfriend and she will always be our priority. This will all end in a heartbeat if she is no longer comfortable with it."
He nodded.
"Well, we probably shouldn't keep Lena waiting any longer. I just want to make one thing clear though Evan..." Stef's voice quaked slightly.
"When I found that pot...well...weirdly enough, you of all people I really...well I really didn't want it to be you. I mean obviously I'm relieved it wasn't one of my own, that is not a problem we need right now." Evan looked down at his feet with a feeling of more relief thinking about Jesus. Maybe this was all worth it in the end. Stef finished with one gut wrenching final shot however. It was a shot that made Evan feel something he hadn't felt in a long time. "I just - you really disappointed me Evan - and I didn't think you would."
Evan was lost for words. It was as if he swallowed a canon ball. He then did something he hadn't done for a very long time.
Stef squinted an studied his face.
"You're not actually crying are you, dummy?" She said half confused and half with a tease.
He moved his head slightly to try and hide it but it was true, his eyes were prickling with very small tears.
Stef put a hand on his leg. "You know crying isn't going to get you in less trouble, right? You're not 5..." she said jokingly to try and lighten the mood.
He let out a small laugh and clumsily dried his eyes with the back of his hand and took a deep breath.
"If I cried every time I got into trouble I'd have cried myself out by now" He responded with a smile. "I just...it doesn't matter."
Stef pushed his hair back. She couldn't help but be moved seeing that this was much deeper than his face would allow.
"Go on..." she prodded gently.
"My Mom...it's just...it's been a really long time since I felt like I had a Mom to disappoint."
Stef coughed back a small tear of her own. In that one line, so much more about Evan made sense. Lena had been right. He'd spent his whole life having nothing but authority figures slap him down for doing wrong, but never really had any of them care enough to make him care that he had wronged them. She took a silent deep breath as he desperately tried to avoid eye contact. For Evan the emotion was only exacerbated by the fact he didn't have the guilt. She was saying all this not knowing the added truth that it was all in self-sacrifice, it made him almost prouder but also could see the hypothetical scene play out for if he had really screwed up.
"OK..." she said patting him on the back. "Take a few minutes to get yourself together then come up so we can pass sentence." She looked at him one more time. "Your Mom would be proud of you, you know. I know I am...I mean, maybe tonight aside..." That line cut even deeper knowing that he had done something to be proud of tonight as well. Maybe stupid, and no doubt something Stef would smack him for again if she knew who he was really covering for, but he was proud that he had been there for Jesus. "And this crying isn't going to soften me you know." She lied, knowing he wouldn't believe her anyway. "You're still on my hit list, young man." She said with mock anger poking his arm lightly with her finger before heading up the stairs.
He messily wiped his lingering tears away again. He didn't know whether to be proud of himself for protecting Jesus or curse his stupidity for being in this position - but in some ways he was glad that it happened after all. He just wasn't used to this.
Bless him. Would love to know your thoughts as always! I will do my best to update over the weekend but I'm off back home to Scotland for a meeting and internet may be questionable! (At my location - not in general across Scotland...). I apologise in advance if it is Monday!
Chapter 26 Preview: Evan explains to Jesus why he wants to take the blame, Callie and Evan bond over their difficult pasts and Michelle finds out her plan failed.
"We're not so different Evan. Both thrown in here from crap homes and suddenly have to deal with the forgotten concept that maybe someone gives a damn. Suddenly people are disappointed if you do something bad instead of just angry. I remember when they picked me up when I ran away. I've never felt so relieved but so guilty in all my life."
He looked across at her slightly more confused.
"Yep, sorry buddy. You're in the "Stef and Lena Club" now.