Hello friends - HOW AWESOME WAS THAT EPISODE?! Wow did I need that Fosters fix. Looking forward to next week's episode even more for hopefully some Mamatigers coming out. Anyhow, back to the story! Here is the penultimate chapter for Hostile Acts. I've very much invented this next part even though it involves canon characters. I just thought it would throw in a nice little step on the journey for Jude and Jesus - and anyone who's read my Fostering Funs knows I like that pairing! Thanks to Mea23 as always and please let me know what you think.
To the anon guest - thanks so much! Your review really made me smile and was very flattering. I haven't thought ahead to I Do in any great detail but I will definitely throw that scene in for you! I always like to know people's opinions and requests so don't be shy!
OK - Enjoy!
Jude tapped his pen nervously. He couldn't get the test off his mind. He looked at the page and it was a haunting reminder of the mountain of the task. Each question felt like an avalanche of pebbles under his feet as he climbed, dropping him down further.
"Are you doing OK with these?" Connor asked, noticing his friend's anguish.
Jude looked round to him with a shrug.
He was too embarrassed to tell him, but he wanted to more than anything. He was the only friend he'd made and he desperately wanted to share the burden. What would be the point though? He would be out of school on Friday and he'd lose him - just like all the others.
"I don't know how you remember it all." He finally responded. Connor looked to him.
"Practice I guess...you'll get used to them."
"I don't have time to get used to them. I never do!" He snapped back, immediately regretful as Connor recoiled. He'd never seen Jude lash out like that before, even if it was only slightly.
Neither was quite sure what to say.
Panicking and embarrassed Jude put his hand up.
"Bathroom, Jude?" Sarah asked with a smile. He nodded and quickly got out to leave.
He tried to fight back a tear. He was so used to change. Why did this scare him so much? He knew what he should do but he went outside. He sat on the step for a few moments and gazed out at the view. He loved this school and the people in it. Why did something always have to go wrong?
He was surprised to hear footsteps behind him.
"Psst." He heard the familiar voice. He turned and Jesus hovered at the door frame.
He wiped a tear away, turning back so that he couldn't see.
"I can't come out there buddy - I only saw you because my window looks onto you. Can you come inside?" he asked.
Jude took a deep breath and got back up.
"Come with me." He said pulling him round the corner into an empty classroom.
"You not gonna get in trouble for being out of ISS?" Jude asked honestly. Jesus shrugged.
He smiled. "Douglas would rather let me out a few times before he has to have an awkward conversation with Mom about my 'weak bladder'."
The joke made Jude smile a little.
"Is this about what Mom wanted to talk to you about yesterday?" He asked.
"I have to take a math test on Friday in order to stay at the school." He admitted. "It's making me so nervous and I just snapped at my only friend."
Jesus took a deep breath. "We all do reckless things when we're nervous." He assured him, speaking from experience.
"I remember the proficiency exam. A different level I guess, but it felt impossible. At that time I could barely look at the page for long enough to read the questions. My leg would go at a hundred miles an hour. I was so scared that Mariana and me would be separated."
"Lena would never have let that happen, right, you were so young?" He asked.
"She didn't." he stared at him. "She got me through the test." He put his arm around him. "She'll get you through it too - through whatever happens."
"I don't want to move again." He admitted. "I know this isn't forever but it feels like we've only just got here. It's not fair."
"It isn't." Jesus replied. "But we got you - just take it a step at a time and we'll keep you upright." Jude smiled up at him gratefully. "Even if this isn't forever it doesn't mean we can't have fun while you are. What's the alternative?" Jesus shrugged.
"You two shouldn't be out of class." A voice cut them off. Their guts wrenched as they identified it as Lena at the doorway.
Jesus stuttered as she flicked her head. Luckily she'd also heard the reason behind it - not that she would tell them. He scurried past her as Jude walked out slowly.
"He saw me upset - don't be mad at him." She put her arms on his shoulders and pulled him close to her. "I'm not." she squeezed him. "Let's get you back there. You're putting in all this work - best make the most of Sarah during class." She walked him back to class.
"Just hijacked him for a moment." She winked at his teacher, returning him to the classroom.
Connor followed him back to his seat with his eyes, still embarrassed at their earlier exchange.
Jude took a deep breath.
"I have to take a test on Friday." he admitted. Jesus was right, what was the alternative? "If I get less than 65 I have to move school again."
Connor nodded as Jude waited anxiously for a response. He was expecting the inevitable pulling away.
"Wanna borrow my workbook?" Was all Connor said. "You can check your answers while you study." Without a second thought he went back to his work as Jude flickered a smile.
"We can still hang out either way, right?" Connor added without taking his eyes off his page. Jude felt a warm feeling tingle down his spine.
Maybe he would get through this.
Callie sat through the impromptu detention Timothy had given her with too many thoughts grinding through her mind. She had known guilt a lot, but she had also known a lot of pain and sometimes it was hard to distinguish between the two. She had done many bad things in her life but guilt was a strong word when many of them had been for survival or protection. There was one niggling thought she couldn't get out of her mind. It had skirted her thoughts when Timothy first mentioned the word but she had suppressed it. It had then resurfaced coincidentally when Jude had mentioned his trip to the batting cages. Really though, she knew it was something she thought of every day. It haunted her constantly. Finally she had the strength to put at least his name down on paper. That would be all Timothy got for now. It was her deepest and darkest secret and Cooper's comments from the day before swum around her head. No-one was supposed to read it, but what if they did? Could she really commit it to paper?
The bell rang and she was surprised to find Kasey peering through the window. Callie was still most comfortable with Brandon in the house, but her relationship with Kasey had grown since their decision to start anew and she was finding more and more that they enjoyed each other's company. Kasey already had several friends however and Callie wasn't quite ready to submerge herself in such a busy lifestyle. Not quite yet.
"Do anything to be guilty about?" Kasey asked Wyatt as he passed. He threw her a laugh and walked off as Callie rolled her eyes coming up from behind.
"He was staring at you for the last five minutes." Kasey informed her.
"Will you quit it?" She asked, folding her arms.
"What? People-watching beats sitting outside Lena's office." Kasey was just about managing to hide the truth that prying into other people's business was easier than processing her own right now. "How was it?"
Callie looked at her, confused. "How was what? Sitting in a classroom for an hour trying to wrack my brains for memories you feel shit about? It was the best afternoon of my life." She responded sarcastically as Kasey laughed at her resentment.
"You had good company."
Callie looked back at her as she limped behind. "I'm starting to think that you are the one with a thing for him..."
"Ooh - are you implying that I'm saying you do?" Callie rolled her eyes with a reluctant grin before striding off with Kasey trying to keep up.
Back at the house everyone was about their usual business. Time had relaxed the situation from the fiery exchanges from the night before, but there was still a lingering nervousness about Brandon's imminent decision. Brandon had decided he wanted an extra night with his Dad this week to try and help him make the decision. He had spoken to most of his siblings now and it wasn't helping him narrow things down.
The doorbell rang and it was Kasey who was passing, she had almost forgotten that her Dad was coming as it wasn't the usual night. She opened it and froze as she saw him. She hadn't realised how the feelings she had tried to suppress from the other night could hit her so hard with seeing him.
"Hey Kase." He greeted her. She paused for a few moments before responding, trying to stop something unplanned from coming out of her mouth.
"Hey Dad." She finally said. He stood there helpless for a few moments before she reconnected with the world and invited him in with an apology for not being more prompt.
"Mom! Dad's here." She shouted through hoping she was nearby to arrive quickly break the tension. She had so many conflicting thoughts. She was still angry about how all of this was happening, still frustrated with the relationship with her Dad and now also feeling responsible for letting it get this way.
"You're welcome to come tonight if you..."
"I have a ton of work and this thing's still slowing me down." She replied before he could finish the question.
"Kasey..." Mike began, knowing full well there were a few causes for the obvious awkwardness, though unaware of the most recent one.
"You know...I would have invited you too - I just assumed..."
She looked across at him and once again cut him off before he could finish.
"I'm not jealous...we both know that we'd get under each other's feet." She looked him up and down before calling for Stef again slightly louder.
"I also didn't mean to put your Mom in a difficult position - it was never meant to be more than an option - something to take the pressure off..."
"Take the pressure off?" She snapped, automatically. She had promised herself she would try not to take this out on her Dad, but he had been such a common target of her frustrations recently it was a bigger task than she anticipated. She may have sprung a hidden well of sympathy for him the night before, but it had still been her Mom's pain that she had been trying to soothe. In the face of all of the emotions, she knew she still had a lot of thinking to do before she could maintain any kind of control over her reactions. "Sorry - I..." Stef emerged with Lena much to Kasey's relief. She caught her in her peripheral and immediately took it as an opportunity to get out.
"Dad's here." She said before making her way out. She walked so many steps before turning back. "Have a good night. Sorry I can't...you know." She mumbled trying to make amends.
Stef looked between her and the other two adults in the room nodding down slowly as she left.
"She uhm...she's just trying to figure this out..." Stef tried to reassure her ex-husband as he nodded in understanding.
"It's OK - I know this must be hard for her." He responded with grace. He really was trying - they were just clashing so much recently that he had succumbed to the idea there would be no quick fix.
"Brandon." Stef shouted up the stairs before he came scurrying down.
Kasey went straight to her room and tried to focus on anything else that she could.
"You can't blame him for everything, you know." Stef commented as she entered in slowly. Kasey rolled over to look at her from her position on her bed. She took a deep breath.
"I don't know if I do." Kasey admitted rubbing her face.
"Whatever Brandon decides, we are still a family. We always have been and we always will be - your father included."
Kasey laughed at the refrain she'd just about convinced herself to believe many years before.
"That's what you always say." Kasey said staring glassy eyes up to the ceiling through a hopeless smile.
"And I mean it." Stef said throwing a cushion to her. Kasey batted it off as her Mom bent down onto her haunches at the edge of the bed, lining up with Kasey's face.
"Don't punish your Dad for mistakes we made as a couple. There's no rule book or guideline - he's just doing his best and you wouldn't be here if things had been different." Stef squeezed her gently as Kasey nodded.
She patted her a couple of times on the arm before getting back up.
"It's not that." Kasey croaked, causing Stef to turn back
"Is this our fault?" she asked bluntly, the weakness showing through.
Stef paused. The simple question wrenched at her stomach. This whole situation had spawned her worst fears - her kids trying to bear responsibility of her failed relationship.
"Listen to me," Stef began before folding her arms. "None of this - none is or ever was your fault. I have even grown to believe that it wasn't even mine or your father's fault. It just is." Stef shrugged off the blame she had tried her best to teach herself to lose. "OK?" she whispered as Kasey gently nodded. She wasn't sure if she entirely believed her but she wouldnt be the cause of any more anguish for her Mom. As Stef departed with a reluctant smile, Kasey rolled over onto her front and looked at the journal. She thought back to what Timothy had said about putting things down on paper making you feel better. She began to write everything down.
"Jesus..." Jude poked his head round their bedroom door. "Moms want us all to play a game." he told him as Jesus looked across, confused.
"A game? Really? We haven't done that for years!" he commented.
"You got something else to do?" Jude teased.
"Ha! You've certainly cheered up." Jesus laughed getting up and heading towards him.
Jude stepped back slightly as Jesus ruffled his hair.
"Thank you...for that." he said simply as he passed. Jesus punched him lightly on the arm.
"Anytime, kid." he replied fondly. "Now come on - let's kick your ass at whatever game you've picked." he remarked before disappearing down the stairs.
The family were about to start their game as Brandon returned and dropped his bombshell. He had decided to move in with Mike.
Stef had hurried through to the kitchen trying to keep herself from exploding into tears. She knew she had to remain composure but her emotions were fighting it with every fibre. She pulled out the jar of tea bags and her hands shook violently as she unscrewed the lid. She twisted it too hard and it rolled off with a clatter as she slammed the jar down and collapsed into her hands.
Kasey, as ever running slightly late, appeared in the kitchen to see her crippled over the sink. She wasn't crying, but it was taking all of her strength.
She looked at her and looked at a brooding figure in the doorway that Stef hadn't yet seen. Brandon.
Kasey looked at his expression and put two and two together. She gave him a nod and he returned it as Kasey went over to Stef. She put her arm around her waist and held her tight as Stef freed an arm and clasped her in as close as she could. They held the pose for a while before she began to rub down her arm.
"We'll always be a family, remember." Kasey whispered as Stef finally let a tear escape.
She pulled Kasey in close and kissed her head several times.
"You wanna go beat Lena at monopoly?" Kasey asked gently after a few more moments.
Stef let out a laugh and brushed a strand of Kasey' hair behind her ear.
"Let's do it." she replied giving Kasey a firm pat on the back to set her free.
Next Chapter Preview: Jude gets the news about his test and Kasey temporarily puts her own struggles aside to help give Mariana the opportunity to reflect.
"But why would she think I'd want to read -" she began to flare up before Kasey cut her off.
"Why were you scared of sleeping alone?"
She let her think it over a few moments.