"Why did you do it?" Stef hadn't looked at Taylor for more than a few seconds since she got her from school. Lena had called Stef, explaining that Taylor had gotten in a pretty serious fistfight and needed to be picked up imeditaly. Stef asked why and Lena said she would tell what she knew, which wasn't much, when she got home with the rest of the kids later. Taylor sighed, "Not really. Am I gonna get grounded?" Stef shrugged, "You can't win this case if you don't defend yourself." Taylor nodded, "I know."

Jude had snuck off to a empty classroom and began to cry. He knew that Lena and Stef would tell him he was special, Callie would just tell him to ignore them. Mariana would try and make him feel better with a gossip night, Jesus with video games. Taylor would sing to him. He wanted more than anything to run to one of his siblings or his foster moms and tell them what those kids had called him and enojy their comforting ways. But no, he couldn't tell them, he never wanted to repeat them. "Hey look it's the nailpolish wearing…." Some kids sneared point to Jude as the walked by the classroom, he didn't hear the last word because they had already been gone. He knew the last word, it was same thing that some jerk had said to him earlier. "What's up you nail polish wearing fag?" The words kept echoing in Jude's head, the bell rang but he made no effort to move.

Lena was sitting in her office rubbing her temples, Stef had picked up Taylor almost an hour ago and from that moment on Lena had been hearing everyone else's side of the story. "Oh my poor baby!" Christopher's mother had cried out when she entered the office and saw the bruise across her son's face. She examined the face and began to yell at Lena when she noticed the scratch mark down her son's chin. Catherine's mother and father insisted on Catherine and Christopher tell their sides of the story together about the attack. "The chick just came at me. She just started screaming and scratching at my face. Then when I tried to calmly put some space in between the two of us she punched me." Catherine nodded, "Chris tried to step back but she just kept coming." Lena nodded, "Okay, but there was quiet a quiet a bruise on Taylor's face also. She also appeared have been kicked in the stomach." Catherine's father spoke at this, "Now that's quite outrageous! These two children have never had any problems in school. And now if I am remember from what Catherine told me when this Taylor girl came to this school, she was a foster child who appeared to have been in many fights before." Lena snapped at this, "Taylor's history has nothing to do with what happened today!" She quickly took a breath and tried to calm herself, "We have considered Taylor's past issues with the school and we are just simply asking what happened." Both parents left in a storm after claiming that their two children did nothing. The problem wasn't that Lena believed the two teens but that because of the hidden past of Taylor it was hard to prove that Taylor was perfectly harmless if this went that far.

"Okay, now it's not an option." Stef said as pulling over the to the side of street. "Taylor, tell me what happened." Taylor shook her head and a few tears ran down her face, "Can't I just tell you when I have to tell Lena? I don't want to tell it more than twice." Stef sighed but pulled back into traffic. "Please tell me it was worth all this?" Taylor shrugged, "Depends on what you say is worth it." Stef snickered at this comment but quickly stopper herself.

"Brandon, can you do me a favor?" Lena had called the boy out of class. Brandon nodded, "Of course is everyone alright? Lena nodded, "Yeah I just need to go home and deal with something. Everyone's fine." Lena reassured her son. "Okay what do you need?" Brandon was still clearly worried but knew that his moms knew how to handle everything, especially after everything the family had gone through within the last year or so. "I need you to take all the kids out okay? I'll give you a few bucks take them out for pizza and then to the mall so all of you can go to the arcade and Mariana can go shopping alright?' Lena smiled faintly. Brandon nodded as he accepted eighty dollars from his mom. "Just text me when you want us to come home alright?" Lena nodded, "Thanks Brandon."

Lena was passing through the halls when she heard small sniffles coming from an empty classroom. She recognized them almost immediately and sighed, what more could happen today in this family. "Hey Jude, come on we're going home alright?" Lena had been standing in the doorway and scared Jude causing him to jump up and knock over a chair. "School's not over." He practically whispered. Lena nodded, "I know. But come on." Jude had walked over to her and she protectively put an arm around him and kissed the top of his head. After stopping at the office so that Lena could grab her stuff and tell everyone she was taking Jude home they were off. "Do you want to tell me why you were crying?" Lena softly and calmly asked Jude. Jude shook his head, he didn't want to say them and he didn't want Lena and Stef to get mad about it. Jude began to cry softly and continued to cry the whole ride home until he walked in the house to a screaming Taylor. "They said it to you! I'm gonna kill them!" And Stef pulling Taylor back.

"Taylor!" Stef yelled. Lena had pulled Jude back out of surprise. Taylor pulled out of Stef's grip and reached for Jude. She stopped when she saw the fear in his eyes and spun to face Stef, "I want to tell you right now. Please?" She begged. Stef nodded and looked to Lena and Jude, "Jude why don't you go sit in the living room and we'll be right back alright?" Jude nodded and slowly walked over to the couch eyeing the three in the entranceway. "I did it for a good reason." Taylor whispered when she noticed how Lena wouldn't look at her. Lena finally looked up and nodded, "Explain."

Taylor took a quick breath, "Christopher and Catherine were at it again, at first it was just making fun of me." Taylor started and was quickly interrupted by Stef, "Wait what do you mean we know?" Taylor shrugged, "I just assumed that Lena told you about the whole blazer incident and put the pieces together about all the crap, I've been taking." Lena shook her head, "I didn't even think to say anything about it." Taylor smiled, "It's alright. That's not why I got in the fight." She looked down sheepishly and then to her soon to be moms who just nodded for her to continue, "They walked up to me and started calling me dyke and fag and then when I ignored them and then they moved on to what hit a more sensitive nerve. You two. The kept saying how I was screwed up because the dyke vice principal and her fag of a wife raised me. That's not even when I punched them although I wanted to I knew that Lena would be happier I didn't. Stef I though would have like me to punch them." Stef smiled and Lena had tears in her eyes. "But then they moved on, and I lost it. They said how that house filled with gays was raising even more and how after they taught me a lesson they should go teach..." Taylor shook her head, "I don't want to say it." She muttered, Lena reached for her hand and nodded, "You can. Go ahead." Taylor nodded, "They should go teach my little nail polish wearing fag of a brother a lesson too and maybe they could teach him to be a normal and not a homo. I threw the first punch then and I guess you know the rest." Stef and Lena were shocked but started piecing things together, that's why Taylor had wanted to run off and punch them after Jude came in crying, why she got into a fight. That's why Jude had been crying... Taylor interrupted their thoughts, "They got to him before they came to me it seems like."

Jude had been standing outside the kitchen listening about what happened and he began to cry. They all knew now! They knew what people were saying. Jude was conflicted between being relieved and being angry. "Jude you can come in now. And since you heard that whole thing we can just pick up from there." Stef called out and Jude walked in his face bright red and stained with tears on his cheeks. "Jude. I'm so sorry." Taylor wrapped him in a hug and he just stood there crying until he felt Taylor's tears fall onto his head. "They called you the names too, why are you upset about them saying it to me and not you?" Taylor laughed lightly, "Because you're like my baby brother. And the words have been said to me for months this is the first day for you. Are you okay?" Jude nodded but went back to hugging Taylor. Stef and Lena just sat staring at their two children. "Jude, why don't you go upstairs and throw your school stuff in your room. We want to talk to Taylor real quick." Stef said. Lena smiled, "And no listening in this time!" She joked.

"Yeah?" Taylor asked as soon as Jude had left. "Are you alright?" Lena asked. Taylor shrugged it off, "Like I said I just cared that they said stuff about you and Jude. It rolls right off me by now. Look I know its short notice but I have an idea for tonight to make Jude feel better." Stef and Lena both nodded knowing that they wouldn't get any farther with Taylor at the moment. "Tonight at the coffee shop, there's another open mic but tonight's different than Friday. It's mostly those of us who get picked on for various reasons singing the songs that get us through the day. If you don't mind." Taylor shrugged. "I already signed up for a song the other day. If you wanted." Stef and Lena both laughed, "We finally get you to sing and see what this whole secret life is while making Jude know he's not alone? You are one clever kid." Taylor laughed and ran to get Jude.

Jude had stopped crying but he started to cling to Taylor. Stef and Lena just smiled at the two kids. "So Jude, a bunch of these people are my friends." Taylor stopped on friends realizing it was true. Other than The foster home...correction her home, this was her safe space with friends. Jude nodded, Taylor smiled, "Well I think some of them can be your friends if you talk to them. We've all had what happened to you today happen to us for different or sometimes the same reasons, and we want you to know we're always here if you want to talk or sing?" Jude shook his head no, "I don't sing." Lena laughed, "Neither does Taylor remember?"

"Taylor!" Abby exclaimed as she saw her girlfriend enter the coffee shop. "Oh hi Jude. Hello Ms. Foster and Ms. Adams. What's going on?" Taylor slipped her hand into Abby's and excused the two of them to the bathroom so she could explain what had happened to Jude. Abby frowned, "The poor kid. He hasn't said anything either way to you Stef or Lena?" Taylor shook her head, "I love him either way." Abby smiled, "I know you do."

"Hey Jude. I have a surprise for you." Abby smiled. Jude looked at her and smiled, "Is it as good as the last one where I got to bring Taylor here?" Stef laughed at this. Abby shook her head no, "Nah. This one's for you. I'm gonna do a song for you alright?" Jude nodded and smiled.

Taylor was the first one up for the night. She walked up to the stage, "Today school sucked, not only did an ignorant person try and attack me, they attacked my moms, and my little brother." People looked around to see who Taylor had been talking about. "So Jude, this is for you alright?"

Mama, mama,

Mama made me the way I am

My face, my eyes

Someone turn me up, I'm speaking my mind

Taylor smiled at Lena when see sang mama mama, Lena was going to be her momma in a matter of days at this point and neither of the two could have been happier. Stef smiled at the teen when she proudly sang the words, I'm speaking my mind.

and I, and I

I've been wasting a lot of time

Looking in mirrors and hating on me

But now I like what I see

I know, I know

I'll never be perfect

I know, I know

But I'm gonna work it

Jude was laughing at Taylor who at this point was singing out her heart and staring straight at him. Jude had been told everything he wasn't that day, Taylor was making him forget it for just a minute. But that minute was all he needed to get through the night.

Let go, let go

Put your new shoes on

A new you on

We are who we are who we are

Pretty's just a pretty word

And I'm gonna shine like a star

Cause I'm the only me in this world

At this point Abby was trying to study the faces of Stef and Lena and see if they reacted to the line that could have been taken about Taylors supposed one week only body issue. But it didn't appear as if they were going to flinch so Abby let it slide.

Throw away the books and the magazines

I'm never gonna look like a beauty queen

We are who we are who we are

And I'm just doin' me

Just doin' me

And I'm just doin' me

Just doin' me

Mama, mama

Mama made me the way I am

She told me I should

Look upon the world with my head held high

Lena smiled and nodded at that line. Stef reached for her hand, "We did the right thing with this one." Stef whispered. Jude seemed to lift his chin just a little higher.

And I, and I

I've been wasting a lot of time

Looking in mirrors and hating on me

But now I like what I see

I know, I know

I'll never be perfect

I know, I know

But I'm gonna work it

One girl came up explaining about how she seemed to have no friends and always seemed to be a freak. She belted the lyrics of her song out.

Take a little look at the life of Miss Always Invisible

Look a little closer, I really really want you to put yourself in her shoes

Take another look at the face of Miss Always Invisible

Look a little harder and maybe then you will see why she waits for the day

When you'll ask her her name

The beginning, in the first weeks of class

She did everything to try and fit in

But the others they couldn't seem to get past all the things that mismatched on the surface

And she would close her eyes when they left and she fell down the stairs

And the more that they joked

And the more that they screamed

She retreated to where she is now

A few other kids went up, some who were hated because they were too fat or not enough of a jock. Everyone caught Jude's attention but there was one a boy about Jude's ago who neither Taylor nor Abby recognize who sang like he was born to do only that.

Skies are crying, I am watching

Catching tear drops in my hands

Only silence as it's ending

Like we never had a chance

Do you have to make me feel like

There's nothing left of me?

You can take everything I have

You can break everything I am

Like I'm made of glass

Like I'm made of paper

Go on and try to tear me down

I will be rising from the ground

Like a skyscraper

Like a skyscraper

When the boy had finished Abby was called up and whispered to Taylor, "This is for you, your moms and Jude so just listen." Taylor nodded and pulled Jude into a hug.

If you're feeling down or weak

You can always count on me

I will always pick you up

Nothing's ever gonna change

Nothing's gettin' in my way

I will always hold you up

Anything

Come what may

Don't look back forget yesterday

Forget yesterday

It's not where you come from

It's where you belong

Nothin' I would trade

I wouldn't have it any other way

You're surrounded

By love and you're wanted

So never feel alone

You are home with me

Right where you belong

I know sometimes you're feeling lost

It's hard to find your place in it all

But you don't have to fear

Even when you mess up

You always got my love

I'm always right here

Oh, cause

"If I had thought I could have dragged Ms. Foster and Ms. Adams up here to sing that I would have. You guys have a perfect family." Abby smiled. She believed it too, Mariana was the so-called girly girl. Jesus was the jock, Brandon the musical one, Callie the protective big sister with hidden talents, Taylor the perfect daughter who just wanted love and of course, the baby Jude who the whole family would quite literally take bullets for before they let something hurt him. Stef laughed and Lena blushed. "Thank you Abby." The both managed when she came back to the table before leaving with their two kids. Jude had decided not to tell Callie about what had happened and he went to bed when the four had returned home. The rest of the kids had already been in their rooms and asleep after going out for the night.

Taylor was sitting in the living room reading the letter Stef and Lena had given her just days before for her birthday trying to bury her fear in love. Stef and Lena sat next to her. "It's not working." She whispered. Lena hugged her and Stef laughed, "You can't bury your fear. You have to face it. And tomorrow at the court they won't hurt you, they will never hurt you again and no matter what you say, we love you Taylor." Taylor smiled and nodded she left to her room. "What happened today?" Mariana whispered. "Nothing Mari." Callie laughed, "You have bruise the size of a large foot on your side and a small one around your face." Taylor told her two sisters the shortened version of her story about the fight. The two believed the story and all three fell asleep. Tomorrow was the day that decided everything for Taylor.

Authors note:

There will be approximately 3-4 more short chapters before the wedding. I'm going to do a Callie/Jude chapter a Stef/Lena chapter and of course Taylor's court appearance. If people want it I will also do a quick Abby/Taylor chapter. Thanks and review please!