"Okay I'm gonna tell my side of the story really quick, for once it wasn't me!" Taylor had blurted almost as soon Stef and Lena had asked her to stay downstairs to talk after dinner. Stef laughed, "you must have done something if already think you're in trouble" Taylor shook her head and sat down. "Taylor sweetie you're not in trouble, Stef and I wanted to tell you something." Lena had been smiling all night, Taylor decided now was as good a time as any to crack a joke, "crap. Which one of you is having the kid? And please tell me it's a boy because we can't fit anymore into our room." Stef snorted, "Lena. And sorry but it looks like you're gonna have four girls in that room." Lena couldn't help but laugh at Taylor's expression, "falling for your own joke?" She teased. Taylor took a breath and relaxed, "so what did you want to talk to me about?" Lena decided to let Taylor sit in one more minute of anticipation before telling her the news, "you can start to go out. And write and text without us reading it. Slowly of course." Taylor beamed, "I can have a life again?!" Stef laughed, "if hanging out with us was so bad then sure, have a teenage life again." Taylor ran up the stairs squealing and jumping around the house.
"Well I guess we're boring." Stef muttered, Lena laughed, "She's a teenager who hasn't gone out in weeks, of course we're boring."
"Jesus! Jesus!" Taylor went flying into Jesus and Jude's room. "Hey Tay!" Jude exclaimed as she burst through the door. Callie sat up from her spot on the floor. Taylor did a double take, "Okay first off, Jude when did you start calling me Tay? When did anyone start calling me Tay? And second where's Jesus?" Jude laughed, "I heard Callie call you it once, Jesus is downstairs playing video games." Taylor nodded and ran out the door. "So, Jude where are you going tonight? While Lena and Stef have dinner?" Jude smiled, "Connor invited me over to his house tonight!" The boy explained happily. Callie smiled, "Alright well I'll help you get ready, come on get up." Callie playfuly started to pull the boy up to a standing position off the ground. Jude laughed, "Okay!"
"Hey Stef, don't forget about dinner tonight alright!" Lena called out as Stef was leaving for work. "Mhm." Stef replied. Lena sighed, "And don't be late like last nights dinner please!" Lena was all but thrilled to have her ex coming into her house for dinner, last nights dinner out was all but fun. With Gretchen acting as if she knew Lena better than Stef did, it drove Lena insane. The only thing that kept Lena from completely dreading the dinner at their house tonight was that she had her six wonderful children to introduce. Lena was still caught in thought when Brandon came down, "Hey mom. Uh... I know that someones coming over for dinner...and well...I was wondering if I could go out to a concert with Tayla." Brandon quickly looked down to the floor and then back up to Lena. Lena sighed, "Sure, I'll check with your mom but I don't see why it wouldn't be alright if you're back by curfew." Brandon smiled and got up, "Thanks mom, I'm gonna go call her and say I can go." Lena sighed, "Well one less person to cook for I suppose." Callie and Jude were the next kids to enter the kitchen and beg to get out of the dinner. Jude spoke first, "Connor invited me to stay over to his house tonight. Can I go? Please Lena?" Jude had decided to pull the cute innocent kid to get his way. Lena sighed, "Sure. Go pack and I'll drop you off before I start cooking. And you Callie?" Callie felt guilty realizing all of Stef and Lena's kids were going out on the night it was supposed to be a big family dinner. "Uh nothing." She muttered. Lena sighed, "You can go. Just be back before curfew and where are you going." Callie smiled, "Out to a silent movie for my film class."
"Jesus! Jesus, let's go. Skatepark now!" Taylor slid down the stairs and into the living room. Jesus shook his head, "Sorry I'm going out with Lexi in a few minutes, so I can get out of dinner." Taylor sighed, "Stef and Lena let me off I can go do stuff now! Please Jesus I need to go see Abby." She whispered the last sentence. Jesus smiled and shook his head, "You need an alibi to sneak off onto a date so you're using me going to the skatepark?" Taylor nodded vigorously, "Yes now let's go we'll be back before dinner! I promise!" Jesus shook his head, "Sorry Taylor but not today alright?" Taylor sighed clearly defeated, "Fine, tomorrow can we go? I miss her." Jesus nodded, "Sure." His mind was elsewhere than his little sisters love life though.
"Hey mom I'm going out with Lexi. Is that alright?" Jesus had already grabbed his phone and was almost out the door. Lena looked up from her dish, "Is it really that bad that all of you are leaving?" She sighed, "Be back before curfew." Jesus paused a minute, "Mariana's still here for dinner, and Taylor is to right?" Lena nodded, "It's fine, go out." Jesus nodded, "Thanks mama." Lena sat down and stopped cooking, this dinner was going to be as bad as the last one. Why did she agree to it.
"Lena! Lena!" Taylor came sliding into the kitchen to see Stef and Lena talking in hushed voices. "Hey baby, you and Mari the only ones here tonight?" Stef asked trying to cover up whatever the two had just been talking about. Taylor shook her head and stopped sliding, "What's going on?" Stef smiled, "Nothing Taylor." Lena stepped in, "Go get Mariana I heard a car pull in. You two should come set the table." Taylor shook her head, "A car didn't pull in. What's going on?" Stef sighed, "Someone saw the bruise around your eye last week, they reported it." Taylor froze but couldn't reply because someone was knocking on the door.
"Lena!" Gretchen exclaimed pulling Lena into a hug, Lena tensed up. "Hello Stef." Gretchen looked behind Stef to the two teenage girls, "And these must be your daughter!" Lena smiled, "This is Mariana and Taylor." Mariana smiled and shook Gretchen hand saying a polite hello. Taylor just stood for a minute before introducing herself, "Hi I'm Taylor, nice to meet you." Lena let out a sigh of relief, this wasn't a bad start. Taylor and Mariana left to set the table for dinner, Lena showed Gretchen the house and Stef got the food from the kitchen.
Callie had been standing outside the movie theater for a while, she finally felt defeated and decided to go in without Wyatt. She was starting to feel bad about the fact that he stood her up when someone slid into the seat next to her "Hey." Callie smiled. Wyatt turned to face her, "On one condition, this is a date. Like an official date. Alright Callie?" Callie smiled and nodded, "Deal." Wyatt began to make fun of the silent movie making his own dialogue causing Callie to laugh for most of the movie.
Brandon was out with Tayla at the concert, "This was fun." Tayla smiled. Brandon just nodded, "Yeah. It was. Thanks for that." Tayla smiled and stepped closer to Brandon, "Why don't we go out and grab some coffee?" Brandon smiled and nodded, "Yeah. Let's go."
"You've really met all those people! Wow!" Mariana was in awe from all the stories Gretchen had to tell. Taylor smiled weakly, "Yeah that's pretty awesome." Gretchen continued with her stories, some of which Lena wasn't appreciating very much but didn't want to be rude. Mariana said something about her moms not being married officially which started a very heated conversation between everyone sitting around the table. Gretchen laughed, "I can't believe that now, I am willing to walk down the aisle and you're not. I mean Lena broke up with me because I wouldn't marry her." Lena laughed uncomfortably, "No! IT wasn't legal anyone back then anyways." Gretchen kept at it, "Yeah but you still would like it! And that's why you broke up with me." Lena's smile cracked, "I broke up with you because you slept with my best friend!" Gretchen froze, Taylor stood up, "I'm gonna go see what's taking Mariana so long. Uh... nice to uh meet you..." She shuffled out of the room.
Mariana was staring at her phone... Lexi had texted her and said Jesus said that he was supposed to be at dinner, Jesus had told everyone here that he had to be with Lexi. "Mariana... What's wrong?" Mariana began to cry, explaining everything that had happened when Jesus met the twins birthmom.
The three older women were still sitting in the dining room. Someone sharply said something and an awkward silence fell over the room. "I have an early flight. Maybe I should leave." Gretchen said. Lena nodded. "Thank you for dinner and nice meeting you." Gretchen was looking towards Stef and seemed to avoid looking at Lena. "Nice to meet you." Stef had her calm and collected smile on that she tried to keep when dealing with the kids. Lena stood, "I'll walk you out." Lena walked back to Stef, "That was awkward." Stef stood and began to clear the table, "No one asked her to leave." Lena laughed slightly, "We certainly didn't ask her to stay." Stef finally looked up, "Ten years together how is it I didn't know you wanted to be married!" Lena tried to reason with Stef, "But you want a wedding and the whole thing Lena! It's embarrassing!" Lena sighed, "I assumed you knew." Stef started to raise her voice, "All this time have you been waiting for me to propose? Did you want a flash mob or something!" Lena started to become defensive, "Don't be an ass!" Both women were beginning to fume, it was Stef's turn to yell, "Don't tell me how to react Lena!" Mariana came into the room at that point, "I need to talk to you." She explained to her moms, about what had happened. Stef got her gun, and jacket, "I'm going to get our son Lena."
Several minute later after Stef had been gone and Lena had called Mike for backup Jesus called his mother. "Jesus! Where are you!" Lena questioned. Jesus began to reply, "With Lexi." Lena snapped, "We know you're not where are you!" Jesus sighed, "downtown..." He muttered off some directions. "We're on our way." Mariana began to jump in the car as Lena tried to reach Stef. "Taylor stay here in case Brandon comes home alright?" Lena said as she ran out the door.
"Get in." Lena pulled over on the side of the rode. Jesus nodded but kept his head down. As Lena began to drive off her phone rang, "Lena." Mikes voice sounded terrible. Lena took it off speaker phone. She crumbled, "Stef's been shot." Mike's voice was tight. Lena was crying, her two children were clearly confused... "Is she...?" Mike sighed, "Yes. Hurry to the hospital." Lena sighed out of relief but only for a minute."We'll be right there." She turned toward the twins and couldn't bear to look at them, "Mom got...shot" Lena's voice choked as she said shot.
Authors note:
Sorry this chapter took so long. I hope you liked it. The whole hospital visits will be split into at least two chapters, sorry! Then there will be a few chapters to fill in the "month or so" between episode 9 and episode 10. Okay thanks guys! Love your reviews!