Another long chapter but again - there may not be the next for a day or two as I haven't written it yet! This is the problem when I write the previews before I write the chapters! Thanks for all the great feedback - especially with the Stef/Michelle scene. I'm glad you all responded to it so well. A few mentioning Kasey and Evan's reconciliation - all in good time (plus I am still trying to figure out the best way to do it!)
You wanted thorough aftermath so once again I'm giving it to you! I'll try and write the next as fast as I can but no promises it will be posted before Sunday (off to Scotland again this weekend...).
Shout out to my buddy MeryGFos for suggesting the Stef/Evan kitchen scene here!
Enjoy - and all feedback greatly received!
The front door opened and the family shuffled in. It had been quiet ride home with nobody really sure what to say. Evan and Kasey hadn't past a word between them, both mad at the other for putting themself in danger and both expecting the other to be mad at them, unsure exactly of what they knew.
"OK you two -" Stef turned to the twins. "We're gonna be speaking to you both individually later on but your Mom's not back yet anyway and I'll give you some time to clean yourselves up and some time to think about what happened. Goes without saying that if you even think of leaving this house you'll find yourselves chained to a wall - got it?" Stef folded her arms as they both nodded. "Go sort yourselves out."
Kasey looked at Evan before she wandered away. He simply gave her a small, nervous smile as she panicked and disappeared up the stairs.
Kasey made her way into her room where an anxious Callie jumped off her bed.
"You're back! Are you OK? What happened?"
"I thought Mom called you..."
"Well she did but she didn't give me the full details - what happened at the station?"
"We're not getting charged for anything...Michelle confessed, hopefully Carl will go away for a very long time. It's all over." She added with a tired sigh. Callie nodded.
"Good." she took a deep breath. "So - what the hell do you think you were doing?" her tone turned angry causing Kasey to throw her a defensive look.
"I was trying to help my brother..."
"By trying to tackle a drug dealer by yourself? Kasey you had no clue how dangerous he was! He was armed..."
"Yes thank you Callie, I was there." she replied stubbornly, slightly shocked at the attack.
"You could have gotten killed." Callie snarked looking down at her feet."What would we have done then?" she looked back at her, hurt.
Kasey shook her head unsure of how to respond. She hadn't fought with Callie for a very long time - she couldn't even remember the last time. SHe was about to respond but decided it best to leave and calm down. She swung round and left making her way back downstairs. Callie flopped her head against the wall with a sigh.
Just before the others had disappeared upstairs Evan had been left with Stef. He turned to her biting his lip.
"So..." he stuttered. "Am I back living here then or...? I mean...as much as I love getting hit over the head it doesn't quite answer any questions..." he joked nervously.
Stef sighed moving through to the kitchen leaving him to chase. "Do you want to move back in?"
"You know I don't wanna be anywhere else...but Kasey..." Evan toddled behind anxiously
Stef turned back to him and folded her arms, raising her eyebrows.
"Evan, do you really think we'd have brought you back here if we hadn't asked her first? As much as I wanna torture her right now I'm not sure my chosen method would be forcing her to live with her ex-boyfriend."
"So she wanted me to move back in?" A smile grew across his face. It was like the first time she had kissed him.
"Yes. Though don't expect to be spending much time with her when she's confined to her bedroom for the foreseeable."
"I don't really care as long as I can see her face every morning." he beamed dreamily before quickly dropping his expression. "I mean not like waking up with her obviously...just at like breakfast and stuff...I mean you'll let her come down for..."
Stef rolled her eyes and slapped his chest to silence his spiel.
"It's been a very tiring day Evan - I don't have time for one of your thought trains. Now - you make me a coffee and I'll bring Jesus down here so we can talk about this cannabis situation."
Evan's face turned to nervous horror. He had completely forgotten about the unresolved issue of the cover-up and knew how angry they had been about it. "You want...I mean, I've gotta be there for...are you sure you shouldn't speak to him alone like..." Stef's eyes narrowed.
"Why? You got somewhere to be?"
"No - I just...I mean I guess I forgot that I have to get my stuff from the motel and they think I'm staying for another night and it may make more sense for...how about I come back in a couple hours when you have had a chance to talk it over with him and then..."
"Are you gonna run out on me again?" She asked with playful menace.
"Well not for good - just..."
"You know I'm not sure I like this attitude of your, Mister...do I have any guarantee you're not gonna disappear before we have a chance to talk about this?"
"Well I just mean go get my stuff and come back when things have calmed down - I mean now we know I'm coming back..."
Stef raised an eyebrow and began to fiddle with her belt as he continued.
"I mean maybe it would just be easier for you to handle the kids before you bring me into it and...wait what are you?" He protested as Stef clasped a handcuff around one of his hands, attaching the other to one of the kitchen drawers.
She gave him a devilish smile.
"I'm gonna get Jesus. You make me a coffee." She prodded him in the chest. "You're not going anywhere. We'll go pick your stuff up later."
"Are you serious? How can I make you a coffee when I'm chained to a drawer?"
"You can reach everything from there." Stef wandered to the door but stopped as Kasey entered storming through.
"What are you doing down here?" She asked her.
"What I can't even get a glass of wat...is Evan handcuffed to a drawer? That not a little extreme?" Her angry response quickly changed to confusion as she studied Evan's situation. Stef guided her shoulders to be looking at her instead.
"You haven't seen the cage I've got for you yet." Stef replied forcefully as Kasey sighed the comment away.
Stef got a glass from the cabinet and handed it to her watching her walk over to the sink and fill it up.
Kasey threw a nervous look at Evan who had a similar one back before she anxiously diverted her attention back to Stef, clocking her watchful eye.
"Mom - you're being paranoid."
"Paranoid? What do I have to be paranoid about? My daughter failing her SATs - oh no wait. She didn't sit them because she was chasing a drug ring."
Kasey paused before responding, frustrated. "I was re-sitting Mom - and I wondered when that would come up. I thought we were good with that - that you understood I only went to support Brandon?" The welcoming she had got from Callie had put her in a defensive mood as it was and the reminder of the exam rattled her even more. She knew she would have to face the topic at some point but she suddenly found herself feeling quite sensitive about it.
Stef bit her lip realising she didn't want to get into anything prematurely. "We'll talk about it later." she responded quietly.
Kasey shook her head with a frustrated laugh. "Right - so you're not OK with it. Is that because you just remembered what I was meant to be doing this morning and now everything is back to that?"
Stef's crinkled her eyebrows confused as to where this had suddenly come from.
"Woah, woah - when did I say I was OK with this? I said I understood why you didn't call - I did not say that I was cool with it. Where has the attitude come from?"
Kasey held her hand up. "You know what never mind. I'm sorry. We'll talk about it later as you say."
She left the room as Stef looked suspiciously at Evan.
"Was that strange to you?" He simply shrugged.
"I can go ask her if you like...if you take these off..." Stef rolled her eyes putting her concerns aside. She reached into the cabinet and tossed Evan the pack of coffee which he caught easily with one hand.
"I'll be back down soon."
As Kasey returned to her bedroom she immediately strode over to her night stand and slammed the glass down.
"You don't get to do this you know." she ordered folding her arms and looking at a bemused Callie.
"What I can't be mad that you and Brandon ran off to try and get killed this morning?"
"No. You can be mad - but don't pretend that you wouldn't have done the same thing. Not after what happened after the wedding - not to mention the first night you were here."
Callie's shoulders dropped and she licked her bottom lip.
"Damnit Callie - I thought of all people you would have been able to understand this." Kasey threw herself down on her bed as Callie shuffled herself to the edge of hers.
She took a deep breath.
"You're right. I'm sorry." she pushed herself off and wandered over to Kasey's bed sitting down at the foot of it.
"When you were gone that morning Callie - I was terrified. No word - then waiting weeks before you came home. Even when we knew you were safe - you were gone and..." Kasey sat up angrily and it quickly turned into hysterical crying. Callie's eyes enlarged, confused about what was happening.
"Kasey - calm down, I get it - I said I was sorry - it's OK!"
"No it's not OK!" she shot back. "It's not OK because I know what that's like and I did it too! And I'm so mad that I did!" she flung her head back down on the bed as Callie saw what this was really about.
"How could I have been so stupid? I should have called Mom - at least told you but I knew you'd make us call the cops and I...God!" she put her hands over her eyes, the full stress of the situation suddenly tumbling through her body like an avalanche. Before then it had been like dream - a playful scam her and Brandon had been caught and driving their moms up the wall with.
"This was real." she said out loud leaving blanks in what thoughts she was verbalising. "Michelle - a girl I grew up with is in prison...because of us..."
Callie nudged her leg."she's not in prison because of you Kase, she's in prison because she was accomplice to a major drug operation."
"I know that." she replied gently. "But we caught her. Hell, I knocked her out and locked her in a closet. I mean, what the hell just happened?" she whimpered, completely overwhelmed by the sudden realisation of it all now the adrenaline had completely passed.
Callie lay down next to her on the bed like they had done so many times.
"Shit stuff happens Kasey. It is real. I know that better than anyone - but look at us. We're survivors. Not that we should probably keep testing that theory - or Stef might have an aneurysm or even worse - Lena may one day actually drop an f-bomb." she joked as Kasey couldn't hold back a welcome laugh through a sob.
"I'm sorry I cut you out and made you worry. I don't know what I was thinking."
Callie squeezed her leg. "And I'm sorry we didn't tell you what we knew last night. I hated lying to you but..."
"I know you didn't have a choice. Besides, Mom was right - it did screw up my head."
Kasey heaved a large sigh. "And I hate it when Mom is right." Callie let out a small laugh before waiting for a long enough silence.
"So..."Callie began, her head lifting round slightly. "You knocked Michelle out and locked her in a closet...?"
"Woah dude - Mom says you beat the crap out of that psycho!" Jesus bound into the kitchen with Stef not too far behind but temporarily distracted by Lena arriving home.
"Kinda - I had to. He was gonna get away. But listen, don't go on about it too much...we're both in enough trouble. Apparently punching two guys in one morning isn't the best way to get in your Moms' good books."
"Two guys?" Jesus looked confused. "Who was the second?"
Evan cleared his throat awkwardly. "Uhm - Porter. But don't make a big deal about it."
You punched him in the face?" Jesus bounced slightly in excitement.
"Yes, a little." Evan responded quickly, nervously keeping an eye on Stef's reactions.
"Man I bet that felt good!" Jesus chirped. Evan looked around to check she was still facing the other way.
"It was pretty cool..." he replied quietly with a smile before she cleared her throat and the two snapped to attention. She had Lena close behind her who quickly clocked Evan's position.
"You handcuffed him?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. "I leave you alone for twenty minutes..."
"What?" Stef shrugged defensively. "I identified him as a potential flight risk. Besides, I want him to remember what happens when he doesn't do what he's told."
"What? I made your coffee!" he protested.
"I meant staying in the car, Superman!"
Evan blushed. "Oh right, I forgot about that."
"You see!" she boasted to Lena. "But I bet next time I threaten to handcuff you to something you'll take me a little more seriously."
"Yes - fine. Can you take them off now please?" Stef raised her eyebrow but slowly walked over to him, letting him go.
He rubbed his wrist and handed her the two coffees before picking one up of his own.
"I didn't say to make one for you." she said sternly as he stuttered in panic.
"Oh stop torturing him - he's back now, you don't have to squeeze in a week's worth." Lena scolded as Stef pinched Evan's cheek.
"Just enjoying being back in the habit." she teased slapping him gently with an affectionate smile as he gave her a small one in return.
"But right - you two. Living room." her voice quickly turned serious. "Let's get this over with - we have a lot of ass to kick today."
The boys filtered through a few paces ahead.
"Did Porter bleed at all?" Jesus whispered but Stef scolded him with an obvious cough before Evan had time to respond. The four of them took their seats.
"OK - first off, let's get this hero worship nipped in the bud. Evan - tell Jesus all the reasons why what you did today was really stupid."
"Well - I only wanted to give you some time to talk to him alone - I was gonna come back..."
"Not that!" Stef silenced him. "The chasing after an armed drug dealer when you were meant to be keeping your head down - or have you forgotten that already?"
"What did you say about handcuffing him making him remember?" Lena rolled her eyes as Stef pinched her lightly and urged Evan on with her eyes.
"Jesus what I did was really stupid - there were other people who were a lot better equipped to deal with him than I was..."
"And you should have handed control over to them because your emotions were screwed. Just like me when I stormed out of class."
"Uhm...well. Yeah..." Evan looked over at Lena and Stef who exchanged a look of their own.
"I know that Evan - I did listen to you, and it's really helped. I know I haven't shown it well recently but I really did learn a lot from that conversation."
Evan flickered a proud smile looking back at him.
"That's really good buddy." he smiled putting his hand on his shoulder.
Evan looked back around to a bemused Stef and Lena.
"So are we done now?" Evan asked getting up.
"Siddown!" Stef responded as he parked himself back down.
"Jesus - it's really good that you learned from Evan - but it doesn't change the fact that you had a serious problem that you didn't come to us with - and it ended up causing a lot of trouble." Lena responded taking control.
"But...technically it was all orchestrated anyway. I mean - Michelle turned out to have planned it all - so really...am I even in trouble?"
"He has a fair point..." Evan added raising his eyebrows as Stef stuttered frustrated.
"OK - wherever the drugs came from that doesn't make up for the fact that you lied about it."
"Well - that was my fault though. I wouldn't let Jesus tell you..."
"Yeah but dude it wasn't right - I should have come clean. I am old enough to know that that wasn't right - and I should have known that Moms would have been reasonable despite your fears. That was my bad, and I should have come clean. I'm sorry."
Stef and Lena looked at each other in disbelief before looking back at the boys.
"Will you two just be more punishable!" Stef whinged as both boys looked back innocently.
"We're sorry Mrs F...but as I told you before, sometimes guys like us learn more from seeing things happen to those we care about than it happening to ourselves." Evan replied innocently as Stef squinted towards Lena.
"Did he just tell me say 'I told you so'?"
"Yep." Lena replied firmly as Stef stood up and Evan cowered back.
"OK - I'm talking now so your cute little bromance is on hold till I'm done. Now I don't care what external forces were at work here or what kind of psychological breakthroughs you two have meditated over since - no offence Lena - " she added to cover herself as Lena waved her approval, her frustration also showing "But what it comes down to is you two both knowingly withheld information from us which could have exposed this situation a lot sooner had you both been honest - do not interrupt me Mister!" Stef cut Evan off with a pointed finger as he opened his mouth to protest. He quickly shut it again. "Now I know you were doing it with the best intentions and clearly there have been some lessons learned - I'm not denying that - but the point is that you cannot make these kinds of decisions of your own back. Do you understand me?" she folded her arms.
"Boys we need you to realise that while we think it's great you have a close relationship you can't cut us out. Evan - you are not a parent, and as good a one as you may be there are things that we have to know about to try and protect not just those involved but those around you. Jesus it was your feeling guilty about this that took you to Broncos after Evan. Can you see how that all could have been avoided?" Lena added in her contribution allowing Stef to have a break.
"Yes - I do. I really do."
"But you know...if he's already being punished for that then is it really fair to punish him for essentially the same thing again?" Evan asked calmly as Stef squinted at him again.
"Are you like his attorney or something? You're right, we should gave talked with him alone and left you handcuffed in the kitchen!"
"Evan - you're trying to interfere with our parenting again - which noble asks it is - zip it! Jesus doesn't need you speak for him." Lena stipulated.
"If you'll remember that's how you got in this mess in the first place." Stef added.
"Moms - I get it. Honestly, and you're right. I did some stupid things and that was because I was trying to work alone. In some ways I took Evan's advice too much and I was trying to be like him but I realise that I have a lot of learning to do before I can do that."
"Evan has a lot more learning to do before he can do it too - trust me!" Stef snarked as Evan blushed slightly.
"Well me even more so then."
"Plus Jesus, what really shocked me about this is that you know what kind of damage these kinds of lies can do. You took Mariana's punishment two years ago and you know where that led." Lena folded her arms.
"Hey maybe you should give Jesus' punishment to Mariana?" Evan teased but quickly dropped his smile with an unimpressed look from Stef.
"Now Evan, I think it's wonderful that you have learned so much from your experiences - and it is great that you are using that to guide Jesus. However if you rationalise things on his behalf without him suffering the full experience he won't benefit. You can't take his hits for him and skip to the end game. He has to make his own mistakes and then take the consequences."
"So...you want him to do bad stuff?"
"Hey I'm cool with that!" Jesus chimed in.
Stef slapped her arms down on her thighs. "Can I just hit him?" she asked frustrated as Lena grabbed her hand.
"What we mean..." Lena interjected firmly "Is that we have to work as a team with you on our side as much as you are on Jesus's. We're all on the same team."
Evan squinted in genuine ignorance. "But...in a team you take hits for each other..."
This time Lena slapped her hands down. "Ok, now you can hit him."
Evan jumped back in his seat slightly and raised his palm.
"OK, OK - I won't take the metaphors to heart. I get it. Work with you and only interfere with Jesus if you approve of how it is I'm doing it..."
"Thank you." Stef responded through a breath.
"So what about my punishment?" Jesus asked.
Lena and Stef looked at each other with a sigh.
"Well you're pretty much still grounded indefinitely at the moment anyway so it's sort of pointless us adding on to that." Stef responded.
"However we have hopefully come up with something which may help you in the way that it sort of helps Evan -"
"Until he went all vigilante on us." Stef quipped.
"We think that in some ways Evan is right about seeing the effects of difficult experiences being a good lesson - and you have a lot of your own experience to share with the world."
"So we are gonna sign both of you up for the local mentoring scheme. Evan with the older kids, Jesus with the younger."
"Give you both some responsibility in the hopes it will help you to reflect more on your own decisions."
"Plus it'll keep you out of trouble on Saturdays."
"And when we see that you've learned something from it and we mean some real progress, buddy, we will talk about ending your grounding."
"So - if I make progress in a week...?" Jesus asked with a smile as Stef squinted.
"And after an appropriate time period." She emphasised.
"That sounds pretty cool. I mean - fair." Jesus amended so as not to sound too enthusiastic.
"And we also want you to do that research on pot and ADD." Lena added, to his surprise.
"We want an essay on it. You were tempted and curious and I'm not saying there's a chance you will ever be using it as medication - believe me - however we're not going to shelter you from opinion, especially if there's reason behind it. We just want you to know what it is to properly do your homework before you make rash decisions."
"Really?"
"Yes. We want pros and cons and proper medical evidence. I'll even get you some credit for it at school as well if you do a good job." Lena affirmed.
"But let me be clear - we catch either of you with any kind of drug in this house ever again for whatever reason - noble, stupid or otherwise - I will give you the worst trip you could ever imagine. Understood?" Stef threatened.
Both boys nodded.
"OK - Jesus, you're done. We want you to start on that research today. Doghouse computer, no fun stuff."
He got up and left throwing Evan a quick smile.
He winked back at him before turning back to the women after he had gone.
"Just so we're clear, did you say I was right?"
"Don't get cocky. You know we rate your opinions and appreciate your help." Stef stipulated back.
"We just wish you wouldn't do it in such a reckless manner - which actually brings us to something else..." Lena began leaving Stef to continue.
"We have some extra clauses to this mentoring situation."
Evan looked back at them nervously.
"We want you to discuss things with us as you're going along." They both looked at him seriously as he dropped his eyebrow.
"But what about confidentiality...?"
"Well obviously nothing confidential - but you have an obligation as a mentor to report anything serious anyway. We just want you to discuss things with us so we can help mentor you at the same time - seeing as you're so determined to change the world. Help you channel those skills of yours more productively. We'll clear it with the service - there shouldn't be any issue." Lena clarified before Stef took the baton again.
"And no taking matters into your own hands either. That's what we're trying to get across - these kids won't be ours so you have no excuse at all not to reach out to us."
"Does that sound reasonable?"
Evan smiled. "That sounds pretty good to me."
"OK - now go get yourself settled back in while we speak to the twins. After that you and I are going for a drive - we need to have that talk."
Evan looked at her nervously. "I'll come back from it right?"
"Just go get yourself cleaned up." She responded softly as he disappeared back to his old room.
"God he is a loveable pain in the ass." Stef sighed putting her hands across her face as Lena laughed and they prepared for the next.
Chapter 58 Preview: Stef and Lena handle Brandon and Jesus has an admission for Kasey
"How much do you know about the whole pot situation?" He asked as her eyes narrowed slightly.
"That Michelle got Evan caught with it and somehow got it to him too...now you mention it nobody ever really explained it to me. Everything has been happening so fast. Why? What do you know about it?"
Jesus bit his lip.