Gah! OK - warning you now that there is a high chance I may not be updating over the weekend. 1) I'm away again and 2) I'm rapidly running out of pre-written chapters. It's a good thing it's not about to get super exciting or anything...oh wait... Anyhow, I will do my best but I do apologise if there is a day or two without. I don't want to rush the quality and these ones are quite dramatic and harder to write. On with this one however - thanks to Mea23 for the suggestion for the Callie/Jesus scene here! Especially as it was her birthday yesterday - so Happy Birthday too!

Penultimate chapter of the angst episode! Would love to know what you have thought of it as (bar the Pot Episode) it was the one I was most nervous about.

Right - on with it...

Stef returned to the house. Callie was still sat there with Brandon.

"How's he doing?" she asked with a sigh.

Callie shrugged. "Hard to tell - he went to the bathroom. Think he threw up a bit but he seems OK."

"I don't understand - Kasey told me he'd gone to bed?"

A guilty look flashed across Callie's face. "Yeah I think we're both guilty of lying a little about that...we both wanted him to try and sort things out but knew you wouldn't be thrilled about him doing it tonight."

Stef threw her a scolding glare.

"Hey though, at least they're sticking up for each other again..."

"Weirdly enough I'm not as relieved when it's against me." Stef chided.

"I'm sorry - I never saw it ending like this. I thought at worst he'd be staying the night at Michelle's." Callie drooped her head. "We in the doghouse?"

Stef squinted. "You can certainly tell Kasey she'll be hearing about it tomorrow. You may have just narrowly escaped though, I am grateful for all you've done to help. Now though, go get some sleep." she kissed her head. "I'll take over."

Callie nodded and got off the stool before Stef stopped her again. "Wait Callie - actually don't tell Kasey anything. Well any details...if she probes say some guy drove him home. I don't want her getting dragged into Evan troubles just before her test."

"Stef, I can't lie to her..." Callie always subconsciously reverted to their first names when she was slightly rattled or felt strongly about something.

Stef sighed. "I'm not asking you to...I will tell her when the time is right and take the brunt for not telling her straight away - she just doesn't need more confusion right now, yes?"

Callie sighed with a reluctant smile.

"if she has a go at you just tell her I forced you, blame me."

Callie was uncomfortable with the instruction but it didn't stop a smile creeping across her face at Stef's slight hypocrisy.

"Now who's covering for people?" she accused with a laugh as Stef shook her head and guided Callie away.

"OK, OK - guilty. Now, once again - this is between us, yes?"

"Fine, but I don't like it."

"You don't have to like it, you just have to do it." Stef slapped her lightly on the back. "Now get to sleep, love. And thank you again, for taking care of both of them." she kissed her again as Callie left. She was never happy lying to or withholding information from Kasey, but she understood Stef's reasons. She knew more than anyone that there were sometimes things bigger than complicated romance and the repercussions if it caused you to do something rash. Kasey didn't need to be pulled back into that right now.

Stef sat with Brandon a little while longer as he tried to take down some more fluids. She was too tired and he was too broken for her to be angry - not to mention it would be pointless as it would be the least of his concerns - even if he was more conscious. There'd be time for that tomorrow.

She had her arm around his back as he nursed the mug in his hands.

"I'm sorry." he blubbered out in between head rolls of tears and general lack of awareness of his surroundings.

Stef sighed. "I know you are, baby. I know you are." she brushed back his hair, heartbroken at seeing him this way. Not the drunkenness, she had been 18 once, but the genuine hurt. Built up against all of the drama of the last week that would be a bitter pill to swallow. He was so loyal, so loving and he had been so harshly betrayed.

"I don't understand...what did I do wrong?" he drunkenly sobbed. He'd be mortified if he could see himself.

She pulled him a little closer to her chest.

"Hey, hey. You listen to me. You are a good man Brandon. You didn't do anything wrong. What's wrong is more people aren't like you." she whispered squeezing him slightly. "You're trusting, and loyal and you stand up for the people who need you to. Don't you ever let people make you feel bad about that." Stef sighed. Even she was guilty of trying to punish Brandon for these qualities recently, but then he was also young and needed to learn when to apply his loyalty - but then again this would be lesson enough for that. She just hoped it didn't stunt him completely.

He was barely registering her words though his consciousness was coming back. Whether and inherent instinct or simply a selective memory, he had managed to not blab about the suspected pregnancy.

"I doubt you're going to remember much of this tomorrow anyway." Stef sighed. "Hopefully there'll be some bits you forget anyway."

He sipped down the last of the coffee and she poured him an even bigger glass of water.

"OK. I think it's time we got you to bed." she supported him off the stool and up the stairs with the glass in her other hand. She took him into his room, putting the glass of water next to him and moving a bucket to the side of his bed just in case.

"The room is spinning so bad." he moaned, his words becoming slightly more coherent.

"Yeah, it does that baby" she put her hand on his forehead as if it would steady it. He closed his eyes and she tucked him in like she would have ten years earlier. She sat with him for a little while longer as he drifted off.

"I hope you realise you'll still be getting hell tomorrow." she whispered playfully after he drifted off. "From us as well as the world." she sighed and paused a little longer.

"I just wish I could protect you from the latter." She kissed his head and put the light off, looking at him one last time before closing the door.

The next morning Brandon was in poor shape mentally and physically. He hadn't got up in time for breakfast with the rest of the kids, mainly as he was unable to face them despite the fact that neither Kasey or Callie had told anyone. Eventually Stef dragged him out of bed, forced some toast down him and drove him to school herself to not only make sure he went but simultaneously check his stability and give him an ear bashing on the way. There was no excuse for the danger he put himself in the night before. The more she went over it out-loud, the easier she was finding the postponed anger came and made sure he knew a serious talk was on the cards when he returned.

He barely registered any of it, partly because of the daze and partly as his brain worked overdrive to piece together events. He remembered the pregnancy but as he was still in one piece he figured he'd been careful enough not to blab about it. He remembered the image of Michelle kissing Carl all too well. It was burned on his mind and he remembered a lot of the party before - it was after that was fuzzy. He remembered nothing of how he got home, fortunately for Stef who could at least rule out him telling Kasey about Evan's contribution.

He was relieved to find out Michelle was not at school and hid away for most of it in the music room using the only tool to process he could. The keyboard.

Brandon wasn't the only one having a bad day. Jesus was still being eaten up by what he knew about Michelle. He hadn't heard about Brandon but Callie who had been observing everyone like a hawk had a strategy to get to the bottom of it once and for all.

Jesus lay on his bed - still restricted from any form of entertainment other than the summersaults in his mind. Callie wandered into his room and closed the door. He could tell by her demeanour that he was in for another ear-bashing. He quickly sat up as she planted herself next to him.

"So I had a chat with Evan last night."

Jesus' eyes swelled open and he sat back nervously. "When did you see Evan?"

Callie kept her matter-of-fact attitude cool and collected.

"Long story short, he brought Brandon home from a party. But that's not important. What is important is that he filled me in on what happened with you two and him covering for you."

Jesus brow furrowed as he stuttered his mouth open.

"He told you? I mean - what? How much?"

"He told me enough. What were you thinking?"

Jesus gulped down and began to fidget his hands up and down his legs.

"Look I never wanted him to take the blame. He insisted. He said that if Moms knew the pot was mine that..."

Callie's eyes flared open this time. She had assumed that something like that had happened - hence how she chose her angle of attack to get Jesus to confess - but hearing it said was another thing entirely.

"I knew it! I knew you had something to do with that pot!"

Jesus gawped. "Wait - you..."

"Evan didn't tell me anything, I could just tell you were both hiding something - but what were you thinking?" Callie was on a full tirade now realising the truth as Jesus shushed her.

"I'm sorry Callie - look I never smoked any. This guy, he gave it to me. I was having a really bad day, I was in trouble at school, with Moms...I was nervous about my ADD and this kid - he said it would help and stuff." He saw Callie's eyes squint in disbelief. "But look - that doesn't matter. Evan talked me down, made me realise how stupid it was and I gave him the drugs to get rid of."

"And then you let him pretend they were his when you were caught?"

"I tried to tell Moms, I tried to get him to let me but he wouldn't. He convinced me it was better this way. I just..." he paused.

"What, Jesus?" Callie's look changed to concern.

"Well now I think there was more to it and I'm worried that it didn't just cover for me but it covered up for a whole lot of other stuff too..."

"Let me guess...Michelle?" Callie sighed, her brow creased, as Jesus dropped his head down.

"She snuck the pot away from Evan and planted it so Mom would find it. When I confronted her about it...a couple days ago...she practically confessed to kissing Evan and told me that if I told anyone the truth about what I had found out that she would plant a whole lot more drugs so no-one would trust us."

Callie hung her mouth open, flustered. "Jesus - you have to tell your Moms!"

He drooped his head further. "How can I now?! They're going to kill me! Not to mention Kasey when she finds out I've been sitting on all of this. What if they don't believe me about Michelle?"

"Then delaying it isn't going to help you get out of more trouble is it?" Callie's voice was still angry but hints of compassion were sneaking in. "And they will believe you. Trust me."

"I know." He sighed putting his face in his hands.

She put his hand on his back. "Come on, I'll come with you."

Unfortunately for Jesus Stef and Lena were already in discipline mode.

"Do you have any idea what could have happened to you at that party?" Stef lectured. "Thank goodness someone had the sense to drive you home when they did! That kind of area - not knowing who was there or what they were doing. Getting that drunk!"

"You could have got seriously injured Coming home almost paralytic." Lena supplemented, slghtly calmer.

"I don't know what came over me. I didn't know how drunk I was till it was too late." Brandon grumbled without much emotion. He was not in the mood for defending himself. He was still overwhelmed with the fears he couldn't discuss. This angered Stef even more.

"Brandon - I'm not sure you're getting the gravity of this." Brandon looked at her scathingly. Gravity of it? What would she know about the gravity of it? Michelle was potentially carrying his baby and he just saw her with another guy. It may not even be his - he had no clue who this guy was or how long she had been seeing him. He wasn't even sure who it had been but he assumed it was the guy who was lying about sending her down.

"I get it - it was stupid. Can you stop saying the same damn thing. You're like a frickin' broken record."

Lena put a hand on Stef's leg to prevent her from exploding.

"Brandon..." Lena warned as Stef bit her bottom lip. She had much preferred the broken, drunken Brandon the night before than angry Brandon.

He took a deep breath and shook his head. "That was completely out of line - I'm sorry I just...I can't care about this now Moms. I just found my girlfriend cheating on me with some...God knows who. I've been completely humiliated by her. Spent the whole damn week trying to defend her and God dammit!" He slammed his palm down on the table before furiously pulling at his hair.

Lena looked across at Stef who took a deep breath. Both their children had had to deal with the same heartache within a week and both were handling it so differently. They didn't even know where to begin trying to discipline Brandon - they had been trying to wean him off that since he turned 18. He clearly still needed time to process his feelings - he was right. It was pointless trying to make him understand his mistakes when he was completely distracted by the situation with Michelle.

"Well we will talk about this when you have had some time to process your feelings. But don't think you're going to slip out of this. You're not going anywhere till we've talked about this properly."

Brandon looked up at her, brow furrowed.

"What if I need to talk to Michelle? I can't just..."

"Nowhere. Not till we're sure we can trust your judgement." Stef added firmly.

"So wait - Michelle can't come here and I can't go anywhere to talk to her? Where exactly do you expect me to figure this out?" Brandon's voice became even more agitated. He had been relieved to not have to face Michelle yet but he knew he would need to soon. He needed to find out what had happened.

"Brandon listen, you want some time to think - so we're giving you some time to think. But you talk to us about this before you go talking to Michelle." Lena responded still managing to keep her tone calm and collected, hoping it may rub off on either of her companions.

Brandon laughed in disbelief as he got off the stool. "Well it's good to know all that bullshit you've fed me about respecting my decisions was just to pacify me." He walked out as Lena pulled Stef back from responding.

"You're letting him leave it like that?" She protested.

"Do you know what you're next line is going to be?" Lena responded accusingly. She knew Stef was just as out of her depth with the situation as she was. They all needed more time before they could handle this.

"If he has some time to think this through he will respond better. He's not going anywhere."

Jesus lingered outside the kitchen door with Callie standing behind. He poked his head round and looked back to her. "I can't - look they're all worked up because of Brandon. I'll do it tomorrow." He tried to turn as Callie pushed him forward.

"You've waited long enough already. This is getting sorted now." She exerted.

"But Brandon's really upset about Michelle - do we really want to upset..." Callie gave him a firm push and he slid into view grabbing the attention of both of his Moms.

Stef looked up slightly shocked, the sight breaking her concentration in their debate.

"Jesus - can we help you with something?" Lena responded as he gawped at them before looking to locate Callie. She was stood next to him arms folder but looking more there in solidarity than there in anger.

"I uhm. I need to talk to you about something." He finally choked out. Lena and Stef shared a nervous glare before they signalled to Brandon's now vacant stool. He took one slightly further away from Stef and Callie took the one they had indicated. This didn't go unnoticed as Stef looked at him sternly.

"What have you done?" She asked. He looked between them.

"Uhm...well." He gulped. "I have a confession...and I need you to hear me out about it because I think it may be important."

Lena's shoulders dropped. The last time they had a confession to come to them like this it was from Mariana and it didn't end well.

He looked across at Callie for moral support as she smiled at him for encouragement.

"When Evan told you he brought the weed into the house - he was lying. He was covering for me. I brought it home from school and he persuaded me to give it to him so he could destroy it."

He winced as Stef's mouth dropped ready to explode.

"But wait - there's more." Both Moms looked at him terrified.

"Michelle framed Evan so you would find it...and I think she may have had something to do with how I got it in the first place."

As always - would love to hear your thoughts!

Chapter 46 Preview: Jesus faces his interrogation as Callie, Lena and Stef try to assemble the jigsaw. Kasey makes a late night trip.

"Wednesday..."

"You've known about this since Wednesday?!" Lena had to put a hand on Stef's arm to prevent her from slamming her hand down.

"Uhm...and that's not all..." Jesus put his hands over the bridge of his nose looking at them through his fingers in a brace position.

Callie looked at him slightly with confusion - if there was more she hadn't told him yet.