Hey guys! Thanks for the great response to yesterday's chapter! I love hearing from you all :) Also love that you liked Kasey kicking ass. Unfortunately, as with the way of the world, it does't mean there won't be consequences but I hope I'm keeping things realistic! Anyhow, here is today's chapter and I hope you enjoy. Afraid it's a pretty long one but it's the longest of the episode so I hope that is OK. Thanks to TheTBone and Mea23 who both gave me advice on this chapter!
Let me know your thoughts - but just so you know, there's a lot still to come with the way the characters develop around this storyline (and the deeper ones).
"What in the world were you thinking? This isn't like you at all."
Kasey looked at Lena with blank disbelief.
"What? He didn't seem to understand what was wrong with what he was doing so I decided to explain it to him."
"I don't think you understand how serious this is." Lena explained as Kasey swung back in the chair in her office.
"You're right. I don't." she replied bluntly. "I really don't see the big deal."
Lena bit back trying not to lose her cool.
"You don't see the big deal with stuffing a 7th grader into a locker?"
"No I see a big deal with that, which is exactly what I was trying to explain to him." she replied equally as confidently.
"And this is the way you think is appropriate? You couldn't just catch him and report him, or have a talk with him? You had to teach by example something which he already does pretty well?"
"So that works? Talking to him? Makes sense seeing as he's never been done for bullying before. Oh wait, no. When was it? Two weeks ago?"
Lena hated the idea that any of her kids was in enough trouble to call Stef in but she couldn't deny she could do with the moral support. Kasey had always been a delicate one to deal with and sometimes Stef's no nonsense approach from a similar temperament was the only solution. She also couldn't deny a small satisfaction in seeing Stef have to deal with essentially a carbon copy of her at her most frustrating.
"Kasey, an attitude is not gonna work in your favour." Lena replied sternly. "I've got better things to have to deal with than you making this harder than it has to be."
"Well then shouldn't we be getting on with this? Detention? Suspension? How about Juvie? Apparently it's now a criminal offence to try and help someone."
"Be careful what you wish for, young lady. I'm only dealing with this as your mother. Karina has claimed this one." she folded her arms as Kasey gave her look of confusion.
"So what am I doing here then?"
"Right now? Eradicating any chance of me defending you if you don't get your act together."
"And what? Sanchez is gonna put the fear of God into me? How about she shoves me in a locker and this all goes away."
"Sanchez is currently calling Blake's parents, then she's calling Mom." Lena replied sternly, ignoring the sarcasm.
Kasey looked up in horror at the mention of Stef's involvement.
"Is this a joke? You're not seriously dragging Mom down here? She's gonna find this as stupid as me!"
"Wanna bet? Good luck getting sympathy from your Mom if you don't cut out the backchat, that's a guarantee and you know it. We need to figure out the best way to proceed with this. Decide what happens next."
"Proceed? You're making it sound like you're choosing a rehab. I'm not out of control or incapable of making my own decisions."
"And how are those decisions working out for you today?"
There was a knock on the door as Sanchez poked her head in. "Kasey, Lena." she flicked her head towards her office.
Lena quickly got up and made her way round the desk, Kasey eventually hauled herself up as Lena stood by her chair.
As Sanchez strode off Lena put a hand on Kasey's shoulder.
"Being smart about this isn't about trying to be the smartest person in the room. You wanna prove you can make decent decisions? Start with some accountability."
Kasey got to Karina's door and shook her head as she saw not just Stef but Mike. The memory of their last exchange angered her further. What did this even have to do with him? How could he judge her decisions when he could barely make his own right now?
"You have got to be kidding me?" she turned to Lena who stood firm and gave her a glare that there was only one direction to proceed.
"Nice to know the cops know where the real criminals are. Though I guess your priorities have always been a little off." she looked pointedly at Mike. Who opened his mouth to respond but Stef intervened before he had time to think of the words.
"Funny, I didn't hear anyone asking you to talk yet."
"And I don't imagine anyone will." Kasey mumbled.
"Really? That's how you're coming into this? Siddown." Stef barked. She wasn't playing around.
As frustrated as Kasey was, she wouldn't disobey a direct order. She knew she was on thin ice but right now the consequences seemed such a farce that even fear of her Mom's backlash wasn't enough to tame her sharp tongue.
"Well Kasey, I'm willing to ignore that exchange because you're in enough trouble as it is - but I'll warn you now that an attitude isn't going to help matters. Do I make myself clear?" Karina began.
"Perfectly. It's why I'm here at all that is confusing me to be honest."
Karina ignored the comment, as Lena shook her head gently and exchanged a look with Stef.
"Do you want to tell your parents what happened or shall I?"
"Will it even make a difference?"
"Just answer the question, I've already had enough of you and you've barely sat down." Stef folded her arms, her patience wearing thin.
"Fine." Kasey conceded. "Jude was with Callie and me at lunch, which I will add is because of how scared he is of being picked on. He left his book so I ran to give it back to him only to find him being shoved in a locker by some jumped up coward. When I scared him off he threatened that he'd be back so I thought I'd show him what it is like to be on the other side."
"Well whatever you thought you were doing Kasey that is not how you conduct yourself in our school, Anchor Beach has a new zero-tolerance position on bullying."
Kasey laughed and looked in disbelief at Stef, hoping for some moral support. Instead, the chilling glare she was met with quickly wiped the smile off her face.
"Bullying? You're serious?" She looked back at Sanchez in dismay.
"I would have thought you would be the first person to point out I'm not known for my humour." She replied, her face like stone.
"You're classing what I did as bullying? Moms, you can't seriously be agreeing with this?" Kasey looked between all of the adults except her Dad.
"Based on your otherwise clean record, I think the best solution will be for you to get a couple of weeks detention, provided of course you apologise to Blake and his parents."
"I'm not apologising to the kid who's been bullying Jude and the parents who've raised him to think that is OK. No way!"
"Well you don't have a choice. Not unless you want to be suspended." Karina added, still unbending. Stef shuffled nervously in her seat fearing where Kasey's stubbornness could lead.
"Suspended?" Kasey spat out, her temper rising. "You know I'm amazed you only called two cops to this meeting. Why not get the Captain down here too? Clearly I'm a risk to society!"
"You really want to make this harder don't you?" Stef interjected with another death glare.
"Mom, don't make it sound like I have a choice! This is a political piece of crap that the school is trying to use as a poster example for this stupid new policy!"
"Kasey..."
"No! Look I get that I acted on impulse I got caught and fair enough, slap me on the wrist. As far as being sorry I made some low-life cry for his Mom, I'm not going to apologise for trying to protect a defenseless 12-year-old!"
"Sweetheart, there's a pretty big difference between protecting someone and going vigilante." Lena weighed in hoping to calm her daughter down. "It's much more effective to report these things to -"
"To who?! You guys don't have a clue what's going on out there! You've got the veep, principal and two San Diego cops dealing with a student who has never been in serious trouble before instead of even attempting to kick out a kid who has been trying to make Jude's life miserable since he got here!"
"So you're not just a hall monitor but a member of the board now? Are you honestly telling us how to do our job?" Karina asked, pushing back against Kasey's insolence.
"Well apparently someone needs to!" Kasey bounced forward on her seat, ready for the fight.
"That is enough." Sanchez snapped silencing the room and causing Kasey to back down into the depths of her chair. "You, young lady, may like joking about pant-suits and authority but if you don't start to respect it you'll be heading straight for a jump-suit."
"Look, she didn't mean it, did you Kasey?" Lena, persevering in her attempts to calm down the room as staunchly as Kasey was attempting to do the opposite.
"No, Mom, I meant it. If you're exercising your new policy then why isn't that kid in here after me?"
"I'm sure that your Mom and the Principal will also be taking what happens to Jude seriously, Kasey. You're not the only one who cares about his welfare." Stef rubbed her face, torn between controlling her own annoyance at what Jude may be going through while trying to also remain united with Lena and the school.
"If Jude is being bullied we will stop it, but in this situation nobody saw what he did to Jude. They did see you." Karina replied firmly.
"So, what? Your anti-bullying policy only applies to bullying you can see? Because everyone knows the bullying you need to crack down on is the bullying that happens in front of teachers."
Karina remained firm and severe but decided not to stop Kasey's path of self-destruction.
"Jude hasn't reported any-"
"Of course he hasn't!" Kasey fired back, Sanchez' attitude serving mainly to rile her further.
"OK, you really need to calm down right now." Stef warned, Kasey's escalating defiance was at least giving her an outlet in a matter she could have an opinion on. "You are being completely out of line."
Kasey snapped her head to Stef, disappointed with the lack of support. Of all people she would have thought she could understand her instincts.
"So you think I was wrong too? Despite having always taught me to protect the people who can't protect themselves?"
"I think that the reason you're in this position now is because you got caught instead of reporting the kid who really needed to be, and for that no-one is to blame but yourself." Stef explained, trying to keep her tone explanatory.
"And past records aren't anything to go by then? Never mind the fact he's been in here countless times and this is my first?" Kasey further protested, turning back the topic to Karina's stance.
"It's hardly the first time you've been in trouble Kasey." Mike weighed in bitterly, also unable to keep out of the fight. The last thing Kasey needed was to have that dormant anger awoken. She had almost forgotten her Dad had been in the room and similar to every recent exchange with him, the reminder turned her anger up an extra notch.
"Oh come on! As if you'd even know! You've said like two words to me in the last month. What are you even doing here, Dad? Isn't there a Jack Daniels calling your name somewhere?"
Both Stef and Lena sat up to attention at the comment, Mike also sitting up straighter to defend himself.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He fired back as Lena put a hand on Kasey's shoulder.
"OK, can everyone just take a time out and collect themselves? You're right about one thing Kasey, this is getting out if proportion." She added, Kasey shaking her head.
"Yes. It is. And I am not apologising to him, I'll take the damn suspension!"
"OK, I've had enough of this." Stef raised her eyebrows at Lena, exchanging a silent request. She granted it with a nod, trusting Stef's instincts with Kasey more than anyone. "You, outside. Principal, excuse us for a moment, will you?" before Karina could object Kasey was ripped up from her seat and marched into the hallway.
"I am not apologising." Kasey repeated shaking off Stef's grasp around her shirt and walking a few paces down the hall.
"You wanna bet?" Stef folded her arms, rounding Kasey off and stopping her stride.
"I don't care whether you think what you did was wrong or not, you are being completely disrespectful and that is not like you at all."
"Well maybe that's because I'm being completely hung out to dry! Where's the support, Mom? I thought the whole point of parents being involved was to represent your kids!"
"And I would happily represent you if you didn't keep tying your own damn noose! You think I'm going to support your campaign to undermine your teachers, one of whom is your mother and happens to be my partner! And don't even get me started on the way you're acting around your Dad."
Kasey swung away again, Stef grabbing her arm.
"What is going on with you?" She asked firmly, but her eyes indicated that she was fearing this was more than just acting out.
"All that's going on with me is wanting to protect Jude. You remember him? That vulnerable 12-year-old we brought into our family?"
Stef dipped her head with a sigh. She didn't appreciate the response but was trying so hard to lead by example rather than bite Kasey's head off.
"Tell me, Kasey - humour me, if anything. Are you remembering Jude in any of this?"
Kasey, taken aback by the question opened her mouth but Stef continued before she could make her retort.
"Because all I'm seeing is some kind of self-righteous martyrdom. Was Jude grateful to you for hurting this kid? Did he thank you?"
"Well...no but..."
"Was he happy when he saw the fear in his bully's eyes? Or when he saw his 'protector' carted off to the principal's office instead of the kid who you say has been making his life miserable?"
"No."
"No? That it? No witty response?" Stef goaded. "No half-assed attempt to try and grandstand your moral superiority?"
Kasey averted her eyes as Stef moved her head to try and meet them again.
"You want me to support you in there then here is my support - you are absolutely right that this entire thing is ridiculous. What should have happened today is the teacher who caught you should have been told by a responsible older pupil that they just intervened on a bully shoving her brother into a locker, that kid should have been apologising to Jude and he would have felt safer in the halls. It is completely insane that the word suspension is even on the table and the fact that you are even contemplating ruining your perfect school record for the sake of some 7th grade bully is absolutely deluded."
"And what does apologising achieve? Admitting to him that what I did was wrong and granting him leave to do whatever he wants?"
"What you did was wrong! When are you going to get that into your head? What he did was worse, but that doesn't make what you did any better, genius!"
Kasey bit down hard on her tongue knowing any words she was willing to commit to would only result in further lashing.
"Do you honestly believe that this kid will get more satisfaction out of you apologising than knowing he got the only person who stood up to him suspended for doing so? If you apologise you're taking the moral high ground. Maybe he'll learn something!"
"And how will Jude feel knowing that I am groveling to his attacker?"
"Probably a lot better than if he blames himself for getting you kicked out of school."
Kasey exhaled deeply and turned her head again.
"Kasey I don't care if you don't have an ounce of remorse, but let me be absolutely clear. I am not letting you get suspended for this. That is my support."
Kasey turned back to her and stared hard, searching for any way out of it. She finally was accepting that there wasn't one, and more so that maybe she didn't want the alternative after all.
"Fine."
"Good. And if you have brain cell left in your head you'll stop trying to bait Sanchez into permanently suspending you. If your mouth gets you kicked out of school you do not want to know what I would do as a result." She warned.
"Fine, fine. Can I go back in or what?"
"You can go back in, and some grovelling to Sanchez wouldn't go amiss either."
"It's like you're almost enjoying this." Kasey accused, bitterly.
"Just get in." Stef pushed Kasey back towards the door.
The conversation in the room stopped as Kasey re-entered, Stef closing the door behind them.
"Principal Sanchez, I'm sorry. I was completely out of line to question your authority." She grumbled, Lena throwing a relieved look to Stef.
"Good. I'm glad you understand that." Karina replied, followed by a silence. Stef prompted her daughter further by clearing her throat.
"And I will...do whatever it is you want me to do."
"I'm glad you have come around. In that case I expect you here at half 7 tomorrow where you will make your apology. We will of course be talking to his parents about Blake's behaviour as well."
"Good." Kasey replied, barely thinking about her tone.
"Don't push it, Foster. There are very few students who would get away with the display you just put on. I'm adding another week of detention to your punishment."
"Unless what you're about to say is a thank you for not suspending you, don't respond." Stef whispered as Kasey opened her mouth, quickly shutting it again.
"Now, that is all I think we need to discuss. Kasey, you can sit out the rest of today in the ISS classroom working out what it is you're going to say tomorrow and I'll see you in the morning. Maybe you can word some advice for Blake in your apology and make an example he can actually learn from. Stef, Mike - I'm sorry to have dragged you down here." Karina stood up as Mike leaned in to shake her hand. He felt her judging eyes on him, wondering what impact Kasey's accusation may have had on her opinion. He dipped his head, sheepishly. He was furious with Kasey for having attacked him so openly, but that fight now would not do anyone any favours.
"Come on." Stef tapped Kasey's shoulder as she stood up.
"Mom..." she turned to Lena. "I'm sorry for how I acted before." Lena nodded, seeing the flicker of genuine remorse in Kasey's eyes. She then turned to Mike but her apology to him was nowhere to be found as she lingered her gaze only momentarily before turning to the door.
"Quick word, Lena." Sanchez asked.
"I'll wait for you outside." Stef whispered squeezing Lena's arm.
The three of them vacated the room, Mike striding ahead.
"Can you take this time to really think about what I said, please?" Stef instructed kissing Kasey's head. Kasey nodded reluctantly before looking at Mike.
"What about her punishment from us?" he asked glumly turning back towards them. No matter his feelings he wasn't going to let her attitude oust him from his role. On cue, Lena emerged from her brief hold-up in the office behind.
"That is a point." Stef added looking to Lena. "We need to decide on an appropriate punishment from our end."
"I agree, right now though we can start with your phone, please." Lena asked, putting out a hand as Kasey rolled her eyes and produced her cell.
"Straight home tonight, no arguments. By then we'll have decided your punishment."
"And the length of it." Mike added once again stirring Kasey's resentment.
"Will you be coming for that then or do you have plans with Danny?" the words fell out of her mouth before she could even hear herself saying them. Mike shook his head.
"You know what, I give up with you. When you're ready to grow up, let me know. I'll be in the car." He walked off Stef growling frustration behind.
Stef looked at Lena concerned as Kasey was visibly hit back.
"You know Karina was just asking me if you were having problems with your Dad, Kasey. You're really starting to worry us with this."
She looked down at the floor before closing her eyes with a sigh. "Can we please just be mad at me for one thing at a time?" she barked out, frustrated. Lena looked at Stef with a mutual agreement to let it lie for now.
"OK, we'll see you at home then. Straight home."
"I'll drive you back." Lena added. "Maybe we can talk in the car."
"I think the walk will help me clear my head." Kasey replied softly as both women looked at her skeptically.
"Straight home, I get it. Really." She replied in answer to their silent meaning. "Just please, can you let me go now?" Her voice had clearly stopped trying to fight, sounding more jaded with the pressure of everything had that had just happened.
Lena flicked her head to signal her leave and Kasey didn't need any more persuasion. As she left round the corner Stef sighed loudly collapsing into Lena's arms.
"She is driving me insane." She whispered.
"I think we need to figure out what she is hiding. She's harbouring some real resentment."
"I'm sure she thinks Mike's drinking." Stef replied softly.
"And do you?" Lena asked, dropping her voice low.
"I wouldn't rule it out. I don't know if she knew how bad it was before, but I wouldn't put anything past her. I'm pretty sure Brandon doesn't and she's never mentioned it, but she did point out how drunk he was at the Quinceañera."
"I didn't think he ever drank in front of the kids?" Lena asked, trying to remember those early days of their relationship.
"As I said, I have no idea. I thought not either but the recent comments? It's a little suspicious. Look, I don't want to ambush him. I'll see how things play out over the next couple of days. Maybe she just caught him on a bad day and the lack of communication isn't helping."
"Well speaking of Mike, no doubt he wants to be on board with what we decide. What are we thinking? She can't think we condone this, whether she was protecting Jude or not."
"I agree, but I'm not sure hammer dropping is going to help her if she's resentful already. we have to ground her but reasonably, she's getting a pretty tough sentence from Karina. That kid was bullying Jude, Lena...I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing on impulse at her age, and she knows that. That's why I was trying not to get involved."
"Well it looks like you handled it anyway. And you got her to apologise to us."
"I think you'll find that came from Kasey." Stef nodded, a small flutter of pride in her otherwise murky opinion of her recent behaviour. "She's just in a bad place with this. She needs time to cool off - I think it'll happen when she sees Jude and what her stunt actually achieved."
A mischievous smile crept over Lena's face. "Well how about we tell her she is grounded until she convinces us she's has an attitude change and offer to help her achieve it? Think Mike will be on board with that?" She folded her arms, proud of her method to give Kasey some illusion of control.
Stef gave a tired smile. "I think we can swing that one." She leaned forward and kissed Lena on the cheek. "I'll go propose it - and I'll see you later." Lena rubbed Stef's arm as she broke away. This was not how she had expected her afternoon to go.
Next Chapter Preview: Callie gives Kasey some advice about how to handle Jude and Kasey does her best to butter up her Moms to help her put it into practice:
"What did they do to you?"
"3 weeks detention, though a week of that was for my 'inappropriate attitude'." Kasey mimicked Karina's sentiment.
"Well it could have been worse. Try 2 month in juvie." Callie folded her arms taking the seat next to Kasey who threw her a sympathetic smile.
"I forgot. You're the queen of getting in trouble for protecting Jude."