Leave me some reviews on what you would like to see happen next!
Okay, just so you all know, I have a BIG plan for Jude. It is going to shape a lot of this story. I think I'm going to start it in this chapter, but maybe the next one. And it is going to be pretty intense and not very good for our Judicorn. Don't be mad at me please! Anyway, I really hope you like this chapter! (I'm putting off studying for my finals so I can write this for you)
*WARNING* This chapter talks about sexual assault.
Callie's POV
"I'll say it again: What the hell happened Callie?!" Stef's voice rang in my ears. Her words weren't angry but they scared me.
I pulled my t-shirt down and sat down on my bed as I tried to figure out how to explain what had happened earlier that day. Stef and Lena both sat down on either side of me.
"Did somebody hurt you? Is that why you rushed up to your room so fast?" Lena squeezed my hand and spoke softly to me.
"Of course someone hurt her Lena! Did you not see the bruises on her back?" Stef spit back. I knew she wasn't angry at me, but the louder she got the more nervous I became.
"Would you stop yelling?! You don't have to get pissed at Lena!" I jumped up and backed away from the bed. "Listen, Tony and McGee were bringing up a suspect but he went crazy. He broke free of his restraints and assaulted the team. He was running for the stairs so I chased him down. After a little struggle he picked me up and slammed me into a wall. But I subdued him quickly after that. He got the worst of it, trust me."
"Those bruises are really bad, love. We need to get you to a doctor to make sure you don't have any broken ribs." Lena took a couple strides over to me and led me back to the bed.
"Ducky already checked me out. He said that nothing was broken or fractured. The bruising is intense but it will heal. He said that I shouldn't be in any pain by the middle of next week. I still have some pain medication for my leg and Ducky said I can take some of those if the pain is too bad. Actually, he said that that medicine is what a doctor would have prescribed me had we gone in for a check-up. I'll be fine." I took in a few deep breaths and tried to calm myself down.
"I don't like you working in a place where you are going to get slammed into walls. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea." Lena rubbed her forehead and sighed deeply.
"It's not going to be a daily occurrence. Trust me, I've taken worse than this. I was shot three times within two days!" I tried to sound lighthearted but Stef shot me a look as if to say "not the time".
"Okay, well you are going to take it easy for the next week. That means no training and no exercising at home. Understood?" Stef asked matter-o-factly.
"Yes ma'am." I replied with just a hint of sass in my voice. I expected them to leave after that, but I guess they decided that it would be a good time to talk.
"Well now that we have your attention, we're going to have that talk." Lena pulled Mariana's desk chair over and sat down in front of me. Stef wrapped a gentle arm around my shoulders and pulled me close so she could kiss my temple.
"Earlier when you asked me if Jude had said anything to mama or me… I lied." Stef squeezed me gently. "I'm sorry that I lied to you but I didn't want you to be mad at your brother all day."
"Jude and I had a talk yesterday and he asked us if we would talk to you. He said that you had it pretty rough at New Intelligence and that you get panic attacks sometimes. Can we talk about that?" Lena grabbed my hands and rubbed small circles on my palms with her thumbs.
"Do I have a choice?" I asked even though I knew the answer was no. I sighed and decided that I might as well get it over with. "Yeah, I had it the worst at the agency. Jude and I were hand-picked by Commander Doran. Actually, they just wanted me but decided they had to take us both. Doran wanted me to be in command. I was on the fast track for her position. If I wouldn't have brought NI down, I probably would have been the Commander by this time next year. Anyway, they had to be really tough on me. I had to be desensitized to everything: pain, mental and physical exhaustion, torture… It all had to be nothing to me. They would ambush me like three times a month. The trainers would come in and grab me while I was in the shower and "prepare" me…" My voice trailed off as I recalled the memories that I had tried so hard to forget.
"What would they do to you love?" Stef asked so quietly that I almost didn't hear her.
I cleared my throat and continued as I tried to choke back tears. "Uhh, they would make me stay awake for long periods of time, they would try and get top-secret information out of me, they'd beat me, and they would… touch me." I shook the images from my head. "But it was all part of the training regimen. I had to do it if I wanted to become the Commander."
"What do you mean they would touch you?" Lena asked.
I crumpled into myself, not wanting to reveal one of the worst times in my life.
"Would you be more comfortable if it were just you and mom talking?" Lena rubbed my hands and gave them a little squeeze.
I nodded ever so slightly. I felt bad; I didn't want to hurt Lena's feelings.
"Okay, I'll just be downstairs if you need me." She stood, kissed the top of my head, and closed the door softly behind her.
"Alright my love. It's just you and me now. Can you tell me what you meant by that?" Stef scooted back on the bed so her back was against the headboard and pulled me with her. She wrapped both arms around me. It felt nice; warm and safe.
"It wasn't part of the training. They just did it because they could. When they would pull me out of the shower during an ambush, they wouldn't even put a towel over me. They just hauled me to the 'training' room. And they'd cop a feel any chance they got; said it was an accident. That their hand 'slipped' in between my legs." I shuddered at my words. They made me feel filthy. "Then one of the trainers got in the shower with me. He showed me a knife and said if I screamed he would kill me. I tried to fight him off, but I was in a vulnerable position. I should have tried harder! That kind of situation is exactly what I was training for!"
"Callie, no matter how much you train yourself, you never know how you will respond in those situations. I have met several of cops and military members who found themselves in similar positions and were unable to fight off their attacker." Stef paused for just a moment. "What did that man do to you, love?"
"He didn't rape me or anything. He just made me touch him and he touched me. I just closed my eyes and prayed it would be over soon. When he realized that I wasn't 'in to it' he slapped me across the face and left. I decided that I'd had enough so I told Commander Doran. She was absolutely pissed. She pulled some strings and got all four of them put into a maximum security prison. I guess they were killed when the other prisoners found out why they were there."
"What would you think about talking to a therapist? I know that you didn't want to a few months ago, but mama and I think it would be beneficial to you." Stef rocked me a little and I could tell by her body language that she wanted me to say yes more than anything.
"Commander Doran called in a shrink for me when she found out what they were doing to me. It did help. But I didn't get to talk to him about how much I hated it there. So, I guess I will try it. But if I don't like it can I stop?" I looked up at my foster mom and pleaded with my eyes.
"Absolutely. We don't want to make you do anything that you aren't comfortable doing. Can we also talk about the panic attacks? Do you know why you get them?"
"Oh, I have had those since I was a little kid. I used to get one every time one of my parents left for a tour. Then when they were home I would get them even when they were just running errands. I always thought that they were going to leave me forever. And when they died, the attacks stopped. I guess I knew that my parents were gone for good and there wasn't really a reason to be scared anymore. I got a few when I was at NI. And now that I have this family I'm starting to get them again. I'm scared I'm going to lose all of you." I confessed. I felt my cheeks blush as I opened myself up.
"You aren't going to lose us, I promise. Maybe this is something that you can talk to the therapist about. I'm sure he or she could help you deal with them."
"Thanks for making me talk. It felt good to get that stuff out in the open." I smiled up at Stef.
"Anything for you, my love. Well, I guess I better let you be alone for a while huh?" She started to get up but I held on.
"Will you just sit here with me for a little bit? I don't want you to go yet." I snuggled closer and laid my head on her chest.
"Of course I will." She pulled the blanket over us and within ten minutes I was fast asleep.
Jude's POV
I went downstairs to ask Lena a question but found the kitchen to be empty. There was a note on the table. I picked it up and read it.
I had to run to the store. I won't be gone long.. xoxo Mama
I smiled and walked up the stairs to find Stef. She wasn't in her bedroom so I checked in Callie and Mariana's room.
I found her snuggled up with Callie in the small bed.
"Mom?" I asked quietly from the doorway. Callie was asleep and I didn't want to wake her.
"Yeah baby, what's up?" She shifted Callie a little so she could turn and look at me easier.
"I have to go to a silent movie for my film class. Mama is at the store. Is it okay if I just ride my bike? The theater isn't too far from here."
Stef nodded. "Sure, just text me when you get there and when you are leaving to come home, okay?"
I agreed and shut the door quietly behind me. I ran down to the garage and pedaled away down the street. The theater was a ten minute bike ride and the movie was starting in seven minutes. I raced towards town as fast as I could.
I sat down just in time for the movie to start and texted Stef that I had just arrived. The movie was incredibly boring, it was a silent film after all. I didn't even know the name of it. But, I took notes as best as I could and tried to make the time go faster. By the time the final credits rolled around I was about ready to fall asleep. I shoved my notebook into by backpack and headed out of the theater. It was dark outside and had just started to snow. When I went to unlock my bike I saw that the chain was broken.
I sighed out of frustration and started to walk back. Remembering that I had to text Stef and tell that I was on my way home, I pulled off to the edge of the sidewalk and leaned against a building.
"Hey, you're the fag in my film class!" A gruff voice said. I looked up and saw a familiar kid walking towards me from the theater.
"Excuse me?" My anger started boiling inside me. I hated that word. "What did you just call me?"
"I called you a fag! I see the way you look at the guys in our class. You're a freak!" He was standing close to me at that point and spit in my face.
"I suggest you walk away, man. Trust me, you do not want to get into it with me." I balled my fists up and restrained myself from knocking him square on his ass.
"Dude! You're like ten years old! I'm on the wrestling team. I would kick your ass!" He stepped closer, almost begging me to make a move.
I shook my head and started to walk away. But before I could grab my bike he pulled me by my sweatshirt into an alley. He put a hand over my mouth and punched me in the face. I regained my balance and landed a solid hit on his jaw.
"You little bastard!" He was pissed at his point. He put me in a headlock and put a hand over my mouth. He dragged me further down the alley and into a little alcove. We couldn't be seen from the road.
"Get the hell off of me!" I screamed from behind his hand.
"Shut up! If you don't shut the hell up I'm going to kill you!" His icy blue eyes stared into mine. They were full of hate. "I'm just going to give you what I know you want."
He flipped me onto my stomach and pulled my shorts down to my knees. I heard him undo his zipper and I froze. I wanted to scream and run but my brain couldn't make my body work. It was like I was floating above myself. Almost like I was watching what was happening to me.
I felt him press into me. I felt more pain than I had ever felt in my entire life.
I heard him grunting and breathing heavily. He masked my whimpers.
I felt his sweat drop onto my back. And I felt my tears drop onto my hands.
It lasted for a long time. He whispered hateful words into my ear and laughed when he saw me wince in agony.
When he was done he threw me to the ground and kicked me in the stomach. He threatened to kill me again if I told anyone.
He walked away like nothing even happened.
I pulled up my shorts and laid on the ground hugging my knees to my chest. My phone rang in my pocket but I ignored it. I was numb to everything.
Lena's POV
"He should be home by now. He should have been back thirty minutes ago!" Callie paced back and forth in the kitchen rubbing her forehead.
"I'll call him. Don't worry yourself too much, okay?" I gave her a reassuring hug and went in the other room to call Jude.
The phone rang and rang but just went to his voicemail.
"Jude, its mama. I need you to call me back immediately. You were supposed to be back thirty minutes ago. Just please call so we know everything is okay." I hung up and went back to the kitchen to join my worried wife and children.
"Should we go look for him?" Jesus suggested.
"Yeah, me and Jesus could go drive around. Maybe he just got lost." Brandon offered.
"Jude has a very good sense of direction. And if he did get lost he would call one of us." Callie shot down Brandon's suggestion.
"I'm sure the movie just ran long. Or maybe he stopped to get a sandwich." Mariana placed a gentle had on Callie's shoulder.
We all sat in silence for a couple minutes waiting for a call. All of us jumped when Callie's phone rang.
"Jude! Where are you? Why haven't you– Connor? Why do you have Jude's phone?" Callie's face crumpled in confusion. After a minute all relief left her face and worry and anger took its place. "What hospital?"
My heart dropped into my stomach.
"We'll be there in five minutes." Callie hung up the phone and wiped a tear from her eye. "That was Connor DiNozzo, the kid Jude met at NCIS yesterday. He and Tony were walking back to their apartment when they heard groaning from an alley. They went down and found Jude laying in a puddle. They think he might have been mugged. They're taking him to St. Mary's hospital."
Stef sprang into action. "Jesus, go pack a change of clothes for Jude. The clothes he's wearing now will be held as evidence. Brandon, go warm up the cars. Callie, go get anything he might want in case he has to stay overnight. Mariana, go call Mike and have him and Captain Roberts meet us at the hospital."
The kids all took off to do what they were told which just left Stef and me alone in the kitchen.
"What do we do?" I asked softly.
She sighed. "We hold each other. One of our children is hurt. We need to lean on each other for just a minute." She wrapped me in her strong arms. We stood there together as we waited for the kids to come back.
After a couple minutes everyone was ready to go and we piled into both cars. Stef and I drove with Callie and Mariana while Brandon drove Jesus.
The car ride was short but silent the whole time. We were all just praying that Jude wouldn't be seriously hurt.
We pulled up to the hospital and ran inside.
"Hi, I'm Stef Adams-Foster and this is my wife Lena. Our son Jude was brought in." Stef told the emergency room nurse.
"Mrs. Adams-Foster? I'm Dr. Mendez. I'm your son's doctor tonight." A young doctor grabbed our attention and led us to the waiting room.
"We were told that he was mugged. Is he okay?" I said through tears.
"Oh, um, I'm sorry but you've been mistaken." Dr. Mendez looked at the other four kids; their wide expectant eyes waiting for him to continue. "Maybe the three of us should go talk privately."
I hope you aren't too mad at me for hurting our precious Jude! But this is the segway I had planned for Jude and Connor's relationship to bud. Let me know what you think!