I know!! I know!! It's been a while for this story! I had a hard time with this chapter. For me character building and world building chapters are hard, but they are important! That being said I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. It's a good look into the mental state of Caleb, and also a little more insight into his life and what life has been like for him since he was taken. I hope you guys enjoy.
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"Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!" The group of teenage boys chant loudly. The chanting filled Caleb's ears, as he continued to watch his best friend chug the alcoholic beverage, he also had in his cup. Except it didn't taste like alcohol it tasted like blue raspberry. Once the cup is finished, Jude holds it up triumphantly, gaining a cheer from the group of friends he was with. He sighs, taking in the party before him.
Littered with intoxicated teens, was a pool party hosted by a severely neglected rich teenager. Another case of powerful parents leaving their kids to their own devices, and in this case it was a party. Alcohol and weed flowed through the party with ease, and there was no one to tell them no. Caleb takes a sip from his cup, before setting it down and reaching into his pockets; pulling out a small blue square and taking a long hit from it. Another bonus about having parents who didn't care, fruit flavored nicotine.
"Why are you all the way over here?" Caleb turns his head away from the party, to see Callie, wearing a two piece lavender swimsuit, approaching him with a smile.
"I'm not really in the mood to party." Caleb offers her his best smile. Callie finds an abandoned pool chair, and scoots it as close as Caleb as she could, before she plops down next to him.
"You could go home?" Callie offers carefully. The subject hasn't been brought up since Caleb made his mysterious trip to the court house. He left the courthouse on Friday, and just decided to stay with Callie and Jude. His parents haven't asked him anything and he hasn't offered anything about where he was and what he was doing.
"Not really in the mood to do that either." Caleb sighs, leaning back in his chair. Callie is quiet for a moment. She has known Caleb for long time. She has picked up the pieces of his shattered self after a run in with his dad, and he has held her hand while she cried for her mom in the hospital. They have been there for each other through some of life's biggest curveballs, and this by far has been the biggest one.
"I was so mad at my mom after she was shot…" Caleb turns his head at the sound of his friends voice.
"…I mean I was worried, of course, but I was mad at her, for reasons I still don't even understand. It was completely out of her control. She was just doing her job you know?" Callie continues; Caleb remains silent, allowing his friend to continue.
"It's ok to be pissed off Caleb. You have every right to be mad, but not at them. It was out of their control." Callie and Caleb hold eye contact for a few moments, both studying each other carefully. Caleb breaks the eye contact first, shaking his head gently, and looking toward the party. He knows realistically this is not their fault, they were victims of a crime. But he couldn't help the anger that was bubbling inside of him, he felt like he was drowning in it.
"I'm going to head home." Caleb says, draining his drink, and standing up. Callie shakes her head, reconciling with the fact that Caleb wasn't ready to open up. He might never be ready to talk about what was going on in his head.
"I'll see you later." Caleb gives Callie a tight smile, before making his way out of the party.
xxxxx
"So that's it, the judge just gave you guy's custody?" Derek asks, setting his glass down. JJ and Emily share a look before Emily nods her head slowly. They were still trying to process it all. It came by surprise when the judge called them all back at 4:30 on a Friday, for it is virtually unheard of for anything to happen so close to 5 on a Friday. But it shook them to their core when the judge gave them their son back. They were expecting to have to fight in a long drawn out trial, having to spend months remaining absent from their sons life, but instead they were given custody.
"Yea, by Sunday." Emily says, helping JJ set the table. Their social worker was on his way to discuss what was next for them, he was the bridge between Caleb and them. It was his job to make the transition as smooth as possible, as quickly as possible.
"What are you going to tell the boys?" Morgan asks, grabbing some of the food from the island of the kitchen, and bringing them to the table.
"The truth. It's not exactly how I pictured telling them…" JJ pushes a hand through her hair, looking on as Derek and Emily continue to place things on the table.
"…And what about Caleb? I mean have you guys spoken to him?" Morgan asks. Both women shake their heads silently. It was a devastating feeling, knowing they hadn't been able to say a word to their son; He wasn't there when the judge gave her ruling. Emily and JJ knew Derek was just curious, they were too, but they had no idea how this was supposed to work, they had two other boys to think about.
Before either one could answer, there was a knock at the door. JJ looks over to her wife, and they share a look.
"I guess that's for us." Prentiss says, her voice wavering slightly. JJ walks over to her wife, her hand coming to rest on Emily's back. JJ offers Emily her best smile, before Emily excuses herself to answer the door. JJ's eyes stay glued to the part of the kitchen where her wife disappeared, lost in her own thoughts. Morgan could see the different emotions play out on his friends face. He could see the battle that was being fought, trying to keep it all together, and he felt like he was intruding. Like he shouldn't be watching JJ, or like he shouldn't be here.
"I should head out." Derek pokes his thumb towards the door and JJ shakes her head, her eyes and body not moving.
"No, stay. There's plenty of food." JJ says, her voice wavering. Derek steps towards his friend, his brown eyes shining with worry.
"I can't stop thinking about what he's gone through, what he might think of us." JJ's voice didn't sound like her own. "I don't know what's worse, the idea that he blames us, or the idea that he doesn't even remember us." JJ lets a couple tears fall from her face and Derek reaches out and places a hand on her shoulder.
"Whatever happens, you and Prentiss are not alone." Derek pauses, feeling some anger bubble in his chest. "They will pay JJ. I promise you." Derek promises, the fire lighting behind his brown eyes. The change in tone causes JJ to look up at her friend, their eyes meeting for the first time since Prentiss left the room.
JJ believes him.
JJ sniffs, standing up a little straighter and wiping under her eyes quickly. She offers Morgan her best smile, before nodding her head; it was a silent confirmation that she was ok for now. Morgan gives her a tight smile in response before walking over to the refrigerator to grab both of them a drink. It was going to be a long night.
"Just right in here…" Emily's voice carry's into the kitchen. JJ turns her attention to the doorway, and Emily appears with an unfamiliar, brown haired man, wearing a plaid shirt and slacks. As they turn the corner, Emily's eyes lock on her wife. She immediately notices something wrong with her wife, but JJ just smiles, trying to silently reassure her wife.
"This is my wife, Jennifer." Emily holds her hand out, introducing her wife to the strange man.
"Dan.. Wilder." JJ takes his hand, offering him her best smile.
"Nice to meet you. Thank you for coming." Their handshake ends and JJ turns towards Derek.
"This is Derek Morgan. He's a friend of the family." JJ introduces.
"Hey, how's it going?" Derek reaches his hand out, and the social worker takes it.
"Morgan you said? You were listed as an investigating Agent on the case." Dan says, ending the handshake with Morgan.
"Yea. I was the first agent on the scene." Morgan answers. He winces slightly at the memory of arriving at his friends house that night. JJ was despondent, Emily was shouting orders to anyone who would listen, the street was filled with police, as the lights from the squad car bounced off the different houses.
"Shall we get started?" Emily says, trying to fight back any memories from the worst night of her life.
"Sure! We have a lot to go over." Dan follows the group to the dining room. And for the next hour that's what they do. They go over medical history, education, and sports. JJ and Emily find that despite his suspicious trips to the ER, he is a healthy, thriving young man. Excellent health, excellent grades, and an excellent athlete; which JJ was incredibly excited for. She loved soccer, but she LOVES football, and she was excited to share it with him. It was nice to know there was something she could talk to him about.
"The judge ordered family therapy for the three of you, as well as individual therapy for Caleb." The social worker flips through what looks like a binder of paperwork. He picks up his glass of water and takes a sip, looking over at JJ and Emily.
"For how long?" Emily asks. Emily watches the social worker drink his water before setting his glass down. He was so casual about such a life changing event for her and her family. It was almost irritating.
"The judge left it up to the therapist. Because it's court mandated, the therapist will check in and update the judge as you go along." The social worker explains with a small smile. He notices the expressions on the parents faces and he offers them a sad smile. He's seen this look before, overwhelmed parents who just want to make sure they have all the information, but aren't sure what to do with it all.
"Look, I know this is a lot. You're taking in a teenager with an unknown amount of trauma, but I promise you I will get you to the next step." The reassuring words soothe Emily's irritation of the man, and she offers him a small smile.
"Ok." Emily nods, looking over at her wife. They have a short silent conversation before Prentiss looks back at the social worker.
"What's next?" Emily asks, taking one of her wife's hands into her own.
"I think that's everything." The social worker closes his file and slides it over to them.
"Everything we went over is in that file, now obviously there is a lot to a teenage boy than what's in that file, but that's the start."
"So what happens now?" JJ asks, still grasping onto Emily.
"Now, we set up a meeting between you and Caleb." Wilder says looking between Emily and JJ. He watches the couple's face lighten in surprise before they look at each other.
"How's dinner sound?" Emily asks in surprise. It was clear by the tone of her voice that they were not expecting this.
"I think dinner is a great idea. I can definitely get that set up for you guys. How is tomorrow night?" The social worker asks, catching both women off guard. JJ and Emily look to each other, having another silent conversation. The social worker picks up on their hesitation, and offers them a sad smile.
"I don't mean to force-"
"No! No it's a great idea. I'm sorry, I guess we just weren't expecting it to be so soon." JJ says looking to the social worker.
"Everything is going to feel like it's at hyper speed. The judge ordered Caleb back into your custody by Sunday. It's Monday, that's only 6 days away. And with school year starting, it's important we get Caleb integrated into your family as soon as possible."
"Tomorrow it is." JJ nods. The social worker smiles again, nodding his head in acknowledgment. The rest of the dinner seemed to blur by for Emily. Stuck in her thoughts about what the next 24 hours were going to look like for her family. In the next 24 hours she was not only going to have a chance to be with her son, but her other two boys were going to find out about their brother. Their lives were about to change and they don't even know it yet. They are with Penelope, getting spoiled, going about their life and when they come home, everything they know will be different.
"Earth to Emily?" Her wife's voice cuts through her thoughts and Prentiss focuses back in on the room around her. She looks to see JJ's eyes shine with worry and she offers her a tight smile. The social worker was long gone, and Derek left just a little while ago, leaving the wives sitting alone on the couch. It was a lot to take in, everything they heard, everything that was to come, it was a lot.
"What?" Emily asks for clarification.
"I said what are we going to tell the boys? Should they be at the dinner?" JJ asks. Emily could hear the anxiety in her wife's voice. It was valid, all of it. Her anxiety, her worry, it was valid. They have had two more boys since they lost their first one, everything is different and they had a lot to consider.
"I think we should tell the boys after the dinner, so we know what to tell them. They are going to have questions, a lot of them, and the more answers we have, the better." Emily was surprised as how put together her thoughts were, but she was happy to see it was easing JJ's anxiety.
"You're right. They can go to my moms for a couple days. Last few days of summer on the farm, they will love it." JJ says, her voice cracking towards the end. JJ feels the dam starting to break, her emotions starting to overwhelm her. Emily waits a moment, before reaching out towards her wife, who immediately collapses in her wife's arms. Emily holds JJ against her chest as sobs rack the younger woman's body. Emily had to choke back some of her own tears as she felt the pain radiate from her wife.
Flashback:
Emily sighs as walks the path from her car to her front door. It has been a long few days. Not only was it a rough case, but it was the first time, since their son was born, that Emily had been away for more than a day or two.
JJ and Emily both agreed that Emily would take the three months maternity leave, offered by the FBI off, but to Emily it didn't feel like enough time. Luckily for them, Emily (and now JJ) was a Prentiss, money wasn't an issue. So once her three months were up, Prentiss returned to the BAU part time. But that still meant, even though she was working part time, if the team got called out on a case while she was working, she still had to travel with them, no matter how long they were gone. Up until this point, Prentiss was never gone from home for more than 48 hours, and she was definitely feeling it. She missed her family.
Emily blows out another breath, before fiddling with her keys briefly to find the correct key to their house. Once she finds it, she pushes the key in, slowly unlocking their door and pushing it open. She wanted to stay quiet, it was late and she didn't want to wake JJ or the baby. Once she is inside, she is greeted by the warmth of their house. It smelled like warm honey and vanilla; it smelled like JJ. She sets her go bag by the door, and drops her keys on the table by their front door. She takes in their home with a gentle smile on her face.
It was really good to be home.
Emily starts to make her way towards the stairs, looking forward to falling into bed with her wife, when she notices a warm light, flooding in from the family room. She abandons her path, and makes her way into the family room, where she was greeted with the most perfect sight. Pacing the length of the family room was her wife and in her arms was their 5 month old son, Caden. He looked to be asleep, his head resting safely on JJ's shoulder. She was humming softly to the boy, completely unaware that her wife was home. When JJ turns she jumps slightly, startled by her wife's silent presence. Their eyes meet, and JJ offers her wife a warm smile. She was aware at how rough the case was, Garcia offering her updates as often as she could.
"Hi." JJ whispers with a smile. She missed her wife. It had been a long 5 days alone with their five month old. Luckily, her mom was able to come up for a couple of days to assist and give JJ a break when needed, but she still very much missed her wife.
"Hi." Emily whispers back, her head tilting to the side slightly. She wanted to remember this moment for ever. She wanted it burned into her memory, it was the perfect view. JJ was wearing her favorite sleep pants, and a tattered Yale t-shirt that she stole from Emily early on in their relationship. And on her shoulder was the most perfect boy. He was in light blue sleeper with white stripes. His chubby cheek was pressed into JJ's shoulder, and his dark hair fell off to the side. It was the perfect sight after the things she saw on this case,
"You waited up for me?" Emily asks, after taking a few extra moments to burn them to her memory. Her voice was still low, keeping in mind her sleeping son.
"Caden couldn't go one more night without seeing momma." JJ turned so Emily could get a good look at their sleeping boy. A smile grew on Emily's face for the first time in five days, he was perfect. From the moment JJ brought her that positive pregnancy test, she was in love with their baby. Everything he did fascinated her, but the one thing she couldn't get enough off, was watching him sleep. She could watch him sleep for hours.
"Hi beautiful boy." Emily whispers, reaching out and touching his face softly. She didn't want to wake him, but she would be lying if she said she didn't want to see his icy blue eyes light up in excitement when seeing her for the first time in five days.
"We missed you." JJ whispers before turning the kiss the side of Caden's head. Emily smiles before stepping forward and taking them both into her arms.
"I missed you." Emily presses a kiss to JJ's head.
End flashback:
"Whatever happens, we will get through it as a family." Emily whispers, before placing a kiss on JJ's head. She knows this will do little to ease the pain, and it will do nothing to slow the tears, but she know for now this is all she could provide for her wife. For only time could tell what was next for them.
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Pounding.
That's what he felt. In his head, in his body, everything pounded. His muscles were sore, screaming for him to stop running, but his brain was moving too fast to care. He was exhausted. His body felt like concrete, but he wanted to run. He wanted the feeling of control, even though he had none.
Time was ticking down. Another day had passed and he was one day closer to going back to his old life. It was strange for him to wrap his head around. He wasn't going to a new home, it was the old one.
The real one.
But he still felt out of place, like none of it was real, because how could it be. How could his entire life be a lie? How could his dreams be real? He dreamt about them for a long time, and then suddenly it all went away.
When he told his parents about the dreams that felt like memories, they told him it was all fake, his biological parents didn't want him. That it was his brain manufacturing memories to cope with the trauma. So he believed them. And then in the courtroom he saw them. The women in the dreams that made him feel safe, and warm; they were real and they were right in front of him.
It was all so confusing and he had less than a week to figure it all out. It was cruel when you thought about it. Why don't they just put him out of his misery and let him stay with his parents? He doesn't deserve warm and safe. Not anymore.
He's running starts to slow down as the familiar houses pass by, making his way back to the place he's called home. As he makes his way up the driveway, he notices a figure standing at his door. He immediately tenses up, pulling his headphones from his ears, ready for any possibility.
"Can I help you?" Caleb says, now standing just a few feet from the man and his door. The man turns, sporting a kind smile, khakis, and a colorful plaid shirt.
"Yea, Caleb?" The man says sticking his hand out, his voice annoyingly just as kind as his smile. Caleb looks down at the hand that was offered to him before looking back at the man.
"Dan Wilder. I'm your social worker." Caleb offers Dan nothing but a blank and confused face. The young man looked guarded, like he was searching for any deception on the social workers face.
"You parents didn't tell you I was coming?" Caleb scoffs at the question, shaking his head and stepping passed Dan.
"My parents don't tell me anything, that would require talking." Caleb pulls keys from a pocket in his running shorts, and unlocks the door swiftly. He holds it open for Dan, before walking in. As Dan steps in he takes a look around, noting the lack of… well anything. The walls held what looked like hotel art, but the home itself was bare.
"I would offer you a seat but we sold it all." Caleb says, gaining Dan's attention. The young man stood shirtless in the kitchen, as he drank from a water bottle. He couldn't help but to be surprised at how detached Caleb seemed from the situation. He expected Caleb to be happy, or curious, maybe even nervous. Granted all of this was uncharted territory. There was no way for him to even begin to understand how Caleb was going to process all of this. This is not the case that gets put on his desk everyday.
"That's ok, I'm only really here to tell you that I will be here to pick you up around 6." Dan says, how eyes drifting around the house and his mind wondering how this boys situation remained a secret. There was clear signs for neglect, and while there wasn't actual proof of physical abuse, he could put the story together based on hospital reports and his interaction with Caleb. Caleb's eye brows raise, questioning the man with only his facial expressions.
"For dinner tonight. With Jennifer and Emily." The words came out awkwardly. Dan was painfully aware of how awkward this entire situation was. How do you describe them to a boy who most likely doesn't even remember them.
Caleb could feel his stomach drop at the prospect of spending an evening with… them. The anxiety starts bubbling in his chest, and his heart starts to beat in his chest. It was so loud he could barely hear himself breathe.
"Sounds fun, but I'm going to have to pass." How could the social worker not hear how hard his heart was beating? He could barely hear his own words leaving his throat. He tried to remain nonchalant, like what the social worker had offered did nothing to him.
"You don't have much of a choice. I'll see you here about 6." Dan says quickly as he makes his way back out of the house, leaving no room for Caleb to interject. But Caleb was frozen, stuck in this moment. He couldn't possibly do this. What was the expectation here?
He remained stuck in a never ending loop of his own thoughts, most of the day. He now found himself wiping the steam off the mirror in the bathroom as he stood in his towel. He makes eye contact with himself. His blue eyes piercing through the glass and painfully staring back at him. It was a pain he wishes he could feel, maybe it would make him feel something other than completely numbness. The vibration of his phone against the counter, causes him to tear his eyes away from the mirror and down towards his phone. He sighs, before picking it up and answering without looking.
"Hello?"
"You're going right?" The familiar voice skips the pleasantries and that causes a small smile to tug at the corner of Caleb's lips.
"Callie." He says simply, turning to face away from the mirror and resting his butt against the counter.
"You HAVE to go." Her voice fills his ears, providing him with comfort. She was right, he knew that. He HAD to go, but in a much bigger sense, he should go. The judge was right, a life was stolen from him, why shouldn't he go looking for it?
"Yea, I'm going to go." He pushes the damp hair from his face. The phone was silent on the other end for so long, Caleb pulls the phone from his face to make sure they weren't disconnected.
"Do you ever think about it?" She asks so quietly, he had to press the phone further into his face to even hear her.
"About what?" Caleb asks, his eyes furrowing together.
"What it would've been like? To grow up with them?" Callie asks, her question making Caleb feel more raw and exposed than he wished to at this moment. It was his turn to be quiet, as he allows her words to digest.
He didn't have to think about it, he used to dream it.
The emotion starts to burn in his throat as he thinks about the sweet dreams he used to have. The warmth he used to feel.
"I should go." Caleb says, clearing his throat with a hard swallow.
"Yea, definitely." Callie almost whispers. Neither make a move to end the call. They are silent, listening to the sifts breaths coming for either side of the phone. Caleb closes his eyes, allowing himself a couple more seconds, before ending the call. He tilts his head back, looking up at the ceiling.
xxxxx
When Dan arrived, he praised Caleb's outfit choice, hoping to put the teen at ease. Caleb chose a black and red plaid shirt, with a black undershirt, jeans, and black vans. Caleb made a halfhearted joke about Dan's khakis that earned a sympathetic smile from the social worker. Caleb was attempting to use humor to distract from what was happening. The ride over was relatively silent. Dan spoke, Caleb pretended to listen as he watched the world pass by around him.
As they pulled up to the house, Caleb's blue eyes traced the large white and black house. He was supposed to live here? He slowly climbs out of the car, shock still swirling in him. This is where he came from? The house almost made him feel small. The crisp modern farmhouse sat on what look like an acreage or two of land. It was intimidating, he was not used to this type of wealth. Sure his friends had nice houses, and their families had more money than he had ever had his entire childhood but this was different.
"It's nice right?" Dans voice pulls Caleb from his thoughts, his eyes meeting the social workers. He could see hope shining in his eyes. Hope that it all worked out for them. That they would live happily ever after. Caleb wasn't as hopeful. Caleb gives Dan a simple nod, which earns him a satisfied smile. Dan walks around the car, meeting Caleb at the beginning of the walk way. As they walk up, Caleb could feel his heart start pounding in his chest. Every step felt heavy. Right when he thought he couldn't take another step, the door swings open. His breath catches, almost in surprise. He thought he had at least a few more seconds to prepare. It was different seeing them here, it felt harder than when he saw them at the courthouse.
"JJ, Emily." He hears Dan greet. He watches them exchange pleasantries before Dan steps aside allowing Caleb to look at them for the first time.
"JJ, Emily. This is Caleb." Dan says, holding a hand out to the very uncomfortable teenager. Caleb tries very hard to focus on anything but the subtle tears in their eyes. The way they gripped onto each other's hands, almost like they were keeping each other tethered to reality.
"Hi." Emily was the first to allow words to come out of her mouth. Both moms were taken completely aback with the boy. He was perfect, just as they remembered him.
"Hi." JJ finds her voice soon after Emily. Caleb's eyes snap towards her. Icy blue meeting icy blue For the first time in 10 years. He knows that voice, her voice. It fills him with a warmth he couldn't quite describe. It wasn't like meeting someone for the first time, it was like seeing someone again. He was confused by this feeling and Caleb could swear he could almost see his past life in her eyes.
"So you're my parents?" Caleb asks looking away from the women at the door. He wasn't ready, all of this is too soon. He expertly avoid's their heavy gazes, as he takes in the grass that was too green, and the perfectly pruned roses that sat in front of the perfectly white and black house.
It was all so… perfect.
Surely within moments he would ruin it all. That's all he's ever good for. Ruining a good thing. At least that is what his dad always said.
"Yea, I guess so." Emily chuckles over the tears that were gathering in her eyes. She just wanted to pull him in and never let go. But she knows this tale, she knows how gentle they have to be.
"Please come in." Emily says, stepping to the side, allowing room for Dan and Caleb to step into the house. Dan and Caleb step through the door and Caleb couldn't help but to feel even smaller. His eyes scanned the house, as Dan walked further inside. It was large and open on the inside, the stairs were off to the side, leading to another floor. The walls were filled with family photos, with memories worth capturing and remembering. It was warm and welcoming, and for a minute he allowed himself to imagine himself living here. Growing up in this home, feeling this warmth everyday.
"Good to see you again agent Morgan." Dan's voice pulls Caleb out of his thoughts as he watches Dan shake the hand of a colorful blonde woman. He has seen her before, at the courthouse, but only briefly.
"Caleb." Dan turns to him and motions for him to walk over to the group that has gathered. Caleb shoves his hands in his pockets and walks over to them.
"Caleb this is Agent Morgan, and Penelope Garcia. They are friends of your parents." Caleb could feel himself cringe at Dan calling JJ and Emily his parents, but he paints a small smile on his face and steps forward.
"Hey." He sticks his hand out towards Derek. Derek looks at it with almost a sad smile. Being a stranger to a boy you loved as your own, it was hard. Morgan takes his hand, shaking it, before Caleb turns and does the same with Garcia. The air was filled with tension. Not the tension that Caleb was used to.
The angry kind. The kind that makes you want to disappear.
No, this was different. It was heavy, but it was almost sad. Like there was words that were meant to be said but weren't.
"Can I get anyone anything?" JJ asks into the silence.
"I will take a refill." Garcia says, pointing towards the wine glass that was in her hand.
"What do you have?" Dan asks, as he follows everyone into the kitchen. Caleb stays back, his eyes traveling across the home that was going to be his. He walks around with his hands still shoved in his pockets. He walks pass the sliding glass door, and notes the large backyard with the pool, before walking further into the living room. A large TV was mounted on the wall, with a large couch sat across from it. A media center sat underneath the TV, but it was filled with colorful buckets, that held toys for a small child. There were a couple of nice chairs on each end of the couch, and a coffee table in the middle of it all. His eyes catch a picture on the wall. It was bigger than the others, but it was of JJ and Emily. In a crisp black and white, JJ was laughing, and Emily was staring at her with nothing but love, and they were in wedding dresses. It was a wedding photo, and a good one at that.
"One of the best days of my life." The voice causes Caleb to turn on his heels where he sees Emily standing a few feet away from him. She was holding her own wine glass and a smile.
"Sorry I was just-" Emily holds a hand up, stopping him.
"It's ok. It's your home too." Emily says with a smile, trying to reassure him. Caleb swallows nervously and nods his head gently.
"Hi." JJ says as she joins them. Caleb noticed Emily's face immediately brightens upon seeing her. They loved each other. Real, authentic, one of a kind type of love. He came from that. He came from the type of love people die for, people search for their entire lives. TV shows made for people who are just looking for love, and they have it. And out of that love, they made him, the chose him. Caleb could feel his face burning at his realization. It was easy when your parents don't care or possibly don't even like you, you kinda disappear in the background and left to basically just staying alive. This was different, they cared about who he was and what he needed.
"Hey, we were just admiring our wedding photo." Emily says, pointing towards the photo behind Caleb.
"Ah, one of my favorites." JJ smiles, brushing a small kiss against Emily's lips. They smile at each other, before JJ turns her head and looks at Caleb.
"Here, I got you this. I wasn't sure what you liked." She hands him a glass with water and Caleb takes it was a gracious smile.
"Water is perfect. Thank you." He says, bringing the glass to his lips and taking a small sip. He looks around, trying to find something to look at besides the happy couple in front of him.
This is all so weird and so different. The true opposite of what he was used to.
"Do you want to sit?" Emily asks, pointing towards the couch. Caleb looks at where Emily was pointing before turning back towards her.
"Sure." Caleb steps away, and finds a spot on the couch as JJ and Emily were careful to find some respectful distance. They sit there silently, conversation between Dan and Morgan could be heard in the background. After a while, Garcia and JJ find themselves in a conversation as well, but Emily stayed silent, leaving space for Caleb if he wanted or needed it. Caleb sips his water gently, listening to the different conversations around him. He could feel their eyes on him occasionally. They were waiting for an invitation, waiting to be apart of his life. He could feel the anxiety sitting in his stomach like a brick.
"Can I use the bathroom?" Caleb asks into the awkward silence. His blue eyes were darting around, trying to find where in this huge house was a bathroom, but he also felt himself looking for an escape route.
"Yea, just up the stairs." Emily says, pointing him towards the stairs.
"Thanks." Caleb says, standing from the couch quickly and making his way to the stairs. He climbs the stairs slowly, taking in his surroundings. As big as the house was, it didn't feel like a museum, it felt like a home. Toys littered the stairs, family photos filled walls, and there was this warmth that Caleb couldn't quite place.
As he reached the top of the stairs, he turns and scans the second floor carefully, looking for the door to the bathroom. The large open upstairs provided a clear vantage point of every door to the upstairs. There was a second living room, with a mounted TV, a couch, and more toys. Though these toys seemed to be for an older kid. They were organized and neater than the ones downstairs. His eyes finally lock onto a cracked door, and he could tell from the open space that it was the bathroom. He makes his way further into the upstairs, noting the different pictures and decorations that were placed carefully on the wall. Just before the bathroom door, another picture catches Caleb's eye.
He stops, turning to face the wall, his eyebrows furrowing together. Framed in a thick large frame was a black and white photo of him and the two women downstairs. He was young, couldn't be older than three, and his hair was much shorter, but it was him. They were holding him between them, all three of them smiling at the camera. They appeared to be outside somewhere, though he couldn't make out where, but he looked happy. He had a life here, with them, a real life. Caleb could feel his heart start to race, and his breathing become shallow. He scrambles into the bathroom, shutting it behind him before surveying the large bathroom in front of him. He spots the window and opens it before pulling out the fruit flavored nicotine vape from his pocket with shaky hands and taking a long hit. He exhales the smoke out of the window, trying regain some sense of composure.
He can't be here.
It's too confusing. He doesn't know what's real and what's just in his head.
They aren't real.
They can't be real.
They said…
They said, his parents said they weren't real.
But they are real.
Caleb shuts his eyes as the world around him starts to spin. He sinks to the floor under the window and tries to regulate his breathing. He can't be here, it's too hard. He gives himself a few moments, and a couple long drawn hits of his vape, before pulling his phone out of his pocket and opening his texting app.
'Come get me.' He texts quickly. He watches the message anxiously, waiting for it to turn from delivered to read. It was a few seconds later that it was read, and Caleb's eyes never leave the screen.
'U r done already?' Jude texts back. Caleb pauses a moment, staring at the message. Jude would come get him no matter what, but if Callie was with him, she would encourage him to stay and work through his feelings, and he would because well he lov- could never say no to her. He would tell them what happened when they got here.
'Yea.. come get me.' Caleb texts back finally. He quickly sends his location to his friend and watches it get read, before locking his phone and stuffing it in his pocket. Now he just needed to figure out how he was going to get out of this place unnoticed. It was only a matter of time before they came looking for him, so he had to go back, at least while Jude was on his way. He could excuse himself to the bathroom again, but it would be weird if he went to the bathroom twice.
'Not if I drink a shit ton of water.' Caleb thinks to himself. He was clear headed for the first time since arriving here, and it felt good. His mind gets sent into a tailspin when he's around them, nothing is clear. He pulls himself to his feet and takes a deep breath, leaning his hands against the white marble of the bathroom sink. He looks at himself in the mirror, making eye contact with himself. When he does, a flash of the blonde woman downstairs flashes across and he shuts his eyes immediately.
He has her eyes.
He takes a few more steadying breaths before pushing himself off of the counter and back over to the window. A few more hits of his vape, and a reminder to himself that he was getting out later, he was ready to go back downstairs. He makes his way out of the bathroom, and back the way he came making sure to tuck his head down and away from the picture of himself that sat on their wall. When he makes it back downstairs, he was able to slip back into his seat on the couch, while the social worker spoke with Emily and JJ.
"You mind if I sit here." Caleb looks up to see Morgan, holding a drink and standing next to a large chair that was beside him. Caleb holds his hand out, gesturing for the man to take the empty seat.
"You know I played some football myself." Morgan says, sitting down in the seat beside the younger man. "I don't think I was nearly as good as you, but I have game." Morgan says with a smile. Caleb couldn't help but to smile at the man, he was nice and didn't offer any unwelcome fuzziness in his head.
"What position did you play?" Caleb asks with a small chuckle. It always made him uncomfortable when people told him he was good, he was so used to hearing how awful he was.
"Cornerback. I made some plays, but you, you're a playmaker." Morgan praises again with a bright smile. He remembers running around in the backyard with the boy. His laughter and playful screaming filling his ears as he chased him. He would hold on to the football for dear life, and he would run while his uncle Derek chased him; full of life and laughter. He watches Caleb chuckle awkwardly and reach for his water. Derek couldn't help but to feel his stomach drop as he watches him; he was clearly uncomfortable with Derek's praise. He was uncomfortable with hearing words of love and praise, when his parents used to smother him with love and words of praise. He was so loved, and now…. He can't even accept it.
"So is Penelope your wife?" Caleb asks, desperately trying to get the attention off of himself.
"Uhm, no. Just good friends." Derek says, taking the cue from Caleb. He was uncomfortable and clearly anxious.
"Cool." Caleb nods his head. The silence falls over them, and Derek is able to make eye contact with Penelope, who was now talking with Emily and the social worker. She raises her eyebrows questioningly, and follows Derek's eye line to the clearly uncomfortable boy on the couch. It was an SOS, he tried to connect with the boy, but he was a lot like Emily when she first joined the team. Reserved, quiet, suffering in silence, not sure who to trust, which is also a lot like JJ after coming back from the state department. Derek watches Penelope excuse herself and makes her way over to the couch and chair that Derek and Caleb reside in.
"Hi, how's everything over here?" Penelope asks, gaining Caleb's attention. She wasn't sure what he was looking at, but he offers her a kind smile when he looks at her.
"Great, we were just talking football." Derek says.
"I have to use the bathroom." Caleb says suddenly, cringing internally at the awkwardness of his sudden outburst. He sets his glass down on the coffee table in front of him before standing up and wiping his hands on his jeans.
"Sorry." Caleb offers them a tight smile, before scooting passed them and heading back towards the stairs. He makes his way back up the stairs, but he doesn't go to the bathroom, he finds himself standing in front of the photo. He doesn't know what it is about this photo, and why his happy face haunts his thoughts. It was a receipt from a former life, a life where he was loved and treasured, a life that was stolen from him. He hated that he mourned for this version of himself; that he weeps for this boy and everything he's lost. He wasn't this boy, not anymore. Years of abuse and neglect destroyed him, and he could not give JJ and Emily what they wanted. They wanted their son, and he was not him.
The longer he stares at it, the harder his heart beats in his chest. It starts to become overwhelming, his heart beats starting to vibrate his entire body. He tears his eyes away from the photo and pulls his phone from his pocket. Jude couldn't be too far, and he should try to meet him down the block at least. Caleb takes a steadying breath before making his way back down the stairs quietly. He makes it to the end of the stairs and turns towards the large front door. He hesitates for a moment, feeling guilty. He feels like he owes them an explanation, an apology. He is sorry he can't be the son that they were looking for, he is sorry he is so damaged that they wouldn't want him anyways. Caleb walks over to the door and a manages to slip out without being seen or heard.
——
The next morning came, much to Caleb's dismay. He didn't sleep, he spent most of the night staring at the blank walls of his bedroom. Most of his personal items were packed away in the boxes that littered his room.
He watches the sun rise against his wall, before climbing out of bed and pulling on a pair of running shorts and a tank top. He catches his reflection in the bathroom mirror and couldn't help but to stare at himself for a second. He looks tired, the bags under his unusually dull eyes, the way his hair looked like he spent all night running his hand through it; he would feel bad for himself if he didn't feel so shitty. He closes his eyes and shakes his head, before exiting the bathroom. He finds and sticks his headphones in his ears and makes his way downstairs. The house was empty, not just the things, but the people too. His mom was on her latest drug binge and who cares where his father was, he just wanted to sleep.
He steps out of his house and is met with the cool summer morning. The weather was changing slowly, signaling the end of summer and the start of another school year. He starts his run, mindlessly listening to his playlist as his feet hit the pavement rhythmically, taking pleasure in the control running brings him.
He doesn't have a destination, he just runs. He turns when he feels like turning and when he stops to catch his breath he finds himself at a park. He is sure he hasn't been here before, but it felt so familiar. He walks over to the water fountain, catching his breath as he went. He presses the button checking to see if it worked before bending down to sip out of it. The sun hits the metal, blinding him for a split second, but when he does he gets a flash of a memory. He was being held up to the fountain, laughs were spilling from his mouth as he tried to get the fountain to turn on. But he wasn't the only one laughing, the darker haired woman, Emily; she behind him and was laughing while holding him up.
He stands up and turns around, almost expecting her to be there. He's had these before, these flashes of a made up life. At least that is what he was told.
Everything is a lie.
Everything he was told was a lie, down to his name.
And for that, he was pissed.
He was tired of living the life that was forced upon him. It was like Thornwood was pulling the strings and he was the puppet. He was supposed to just play along and pretend to be the good son. Smile as his life fell apart in front of him.
He didn't want this.
He could feel his heart pounding despite the fact that he wasn't moving. He could feel the anxiety creep its way up his body and to his throat. It was choking him. Before he even knew what was happening, he was letting out a scream. A scream so loud, he didn't even recognize his own voice. He screamed until he didn't feel like he was being suffocated. His hands fall to his hips, and his head hangs down as he starts walking. Tears threatening to fall down his face as he starts making his way back to the empty house he called home.
xxxxx
He was the life of the party. It was like the last week of his life didn't exist.
He was currently standing on a table, chugging the questionable contents of a cup. Teenagers stood around him, cheering him on as the liquid burned his throat and made him forget his problems.
"Maybe we should…" Jude trails off, as he stands off to the side with Callie. He also held a drink in his hand, but he was worried about his friend. It wasn't that Caleb was having a good time that worried him. It was the complete 180 his mood took. When he picked Caleb up last night, he didn't even talk. They sat silently as Jude drove them back to Caleb's house. And when they got there, Caleb just got out and left. No words were spoken to them until this afternoon when he messaged them about the party they were currently at. They still weren't sure what happened last night, and why Caleb left early, but they were convinced that had everything to do with their friends current state.
Jude, Callie, and Caleb had been friends for as long as they could remember. They met in little league and the rest was history. Jude is not only Caleb's best friend, but his best receiver on the football team. They have been playing together for so long, they had a rhythm that was hard to match. All of that being said, Jude had a good idea on when to challenge Caleb. But he had to admit, he was out of his depth. Caleb was trying his best to have a good time, but Jude could tell how much pain he was struggling with. Every laugh, and every drink was a mask for what he was really going through.
"…. We definitely should." Callie says as she watches Caleb finish off the cup, before cheering loudly and throwing the cup as hard as he could, which gained more cheering from the crowd around him. As he jumps down from the table, he received high fives and pats on the back from the crowd around him.
"I feel great!" Caleb exclaimed, as he walks up to his friends. Callie and Jude share a look before Jude turns back to his friend with a smile.
"Yea, I bet." Jude slightly laughs at his friend. He wasn't even sure his friend was aware that he was as intoxicated as he was.
"We should do something exciting!" Caleb shouts, clearly unaware at how close his friends actually were.
"You mean besides the underaged drinking and smoking?" Jude laughs cynically. He was all for forgetting his problems in a few drinks and the company of a beautiful girl, but watching Caleb do it felt wrong. He felt like he should offer something more for his friend.
"You guys want to see where I live?" Caleb asks.
"We know where you live?" Jude furrows his eyebrows together in confusion.
"You know where Caleb Thornwood lives." Caleb slurs, only adding to the confusion.
"Yea dude, you're Caleb Thornwood." Jude says, confusion evident in his voice.
"Jude…" Callie's voice in addition to the soft hand that was placed on his arm, causes Jude to look away from his friend for a moment. He makes eye contact with Callie and realization washes over him. He isn't Caleb Thornwood, not really. Jude looks back over to his friend, who was drunkenly hitting his vape, blowing the smoke into the dark air.
"Hey man, let's just go back to my house?" Jude offers sympathetically. Callie nods her head in agreement, but Caleb shakes his head.
"Come on! You have to see this place." Caleb says excitedly before turning on his heels and making his way out of the party.
"Caleb!" Jude calls after him. Callie pushes against Jude's arm, signaling him to follow their intoxicated friend. Jude follows Callie's silent instruction, setting his own up down and starts walking through the party.
"Caleb!" Jude calls again, sliding and bumping past the intoxicated teens that were enjoying the party. Jude looses sight of Caleb, but continues his path out of the party in hopes he will find Caleb outside of the crowd. Once they make it out of the backyard where the party was being held, Jude looks around quickly, seeing a few people out in the street in front of the house. His green eyes scan the outside before they find Caleb standing on the curb. His hands were shoved in his pockets, his head was titled back, and his eyes were closed.
"Caleb!" Jude calls before turning back to see Callie already headed towards their friend. Once they reach him, the air is still as they wait for their friend to say something.
"You should see the place." Caleb finally says into the still air.
"I'm sure we will." Callie responds softly, unsure in how to proceed. Caleb lets out a laugh, that filled the air and left smiles on Jude and Callie's face.
"What?" Callie asks through her smile.
"Come on." Caleb chuckles before stepping down from the curb and starting to walk.
"Caleb, this is a terrible idea." Callie calls out to him, both her and Jude stuck in their places.
"Either come and stop me or keep me company." Caleb calls out as he walks, not bothering to stop. Jude and Callie share a look before jogging together to catch up with Caleb. The walk is mostly silent, both Callie and Jude trying to find a way to talk their friend out of drunkenly showing up to his real parent's house in the middle of the night.
"They have other kids. Two I think." Caleb's voice breaks the silence. The vulnerability in his voice was hard to hide, on the count of him being completely wasted. Callie raises her eyebrows in surprise, she hadn't expected Caleb to open up about this situation. They continue to walk, Caleb's statement sitting heavily in the air, but before Callie or Jude could form a response, Caleb stops walking.
"There." He points. They stand at the end of a street leading into a cul de sac. Jude had lost track of the time, and how long they had been walking, but he couldn't hide his surprise when he took in the house. It was startling how different it was from the house he currently lived in, maybe all of it was startling. If he was being honest, he wasn't sure how Caleb was even still standing.
"Wow." Callie gasps out.
"What are their names?" Jude asks after a moment of silence. Caleb turns his head and looks at his corned for the first time in what seemed like hours.
"The other kids." Jude clarified. Caleb's eyebrows furrowed together. He comes to realize he knows nothing about them, not even their names.
"I don't know." Caleb answers honestly. "I should ask." Caleb says, starting towards the door.
"Caleb! Hey no. You don't need to do that now." Jude says, pulling his friend to a stop.
"Yes I do." Caleb says, starting towards the door, but Jude stops him again.
"Caleb.."
"You don't understand!" Caleb pulls out of Jude's grasp and swings around to face his friend's.
"I left! Last night I left and I didn't even… I panicked and I left. I have to ask."
"No you don't. You're drunk and it can wait." Callie says softly.
"No it can't Callie. I'm running out of time. I have to be their son in less than a week." Caleb turns back to the house, walking down the street that would lead him to his destination. Callie and Jude watch him, unsure on what to do. They wanted to follow him, but they knew showing up with their drunk friend to the house of FBI agents, wouldn't go over well with their parents.
"Caleb!" Jude whispers out harshly, trying to avoid disturbing the early morning air.
"Just stay there." Caleb turns around for a spilt second, before continuing down his path. He walks down the street, making his way up to the house and up to the front door. He stands in front of it, just like he did the day before, but this time he just stares at the door. A moment of sobriety washed over him, suddenly questioning everything. He shouldn't be here, that's why he left in the first place. He should be here. A yet, his hand was still raising up to make contact with the wood before him. The first few knocks were laced with hesitation, but after a couple more knocks, they became loud and frantic.
On the other side of the door, JJ had just settled into bed, next to her wife, when the knocking started. She pulls herself out of bed and down the stairs. She was worried about what a knock on her door at this time of night meant, but she walks over to the door, pulling it open very slightly.
"Caleb?" JJ pulls the door open a little further, slightly alarmed that the teen was there. It was late, and she had just barely fallen asleep before she heard the knocking on the door. She wasn't sure who she expected but she definitely didn't expect her estranged teenage son who snuck out of dinner with them just the day prior.
"Hi, hey. I'm sorry I was just wondering, who are the kids? Th- the ones in the um pictures?" Caleb manages to ask. JJ raises an eyebrow, her profiler senses tingling. JJ steps aside, pulling the door completely open.
"Come in." She says, her tone inviting enough for the intoxicated young man. Caleb takes a steady step into the house, looking around immediately as if he was looking for something.
"There!" Caleb points, walking towards a picture on the wall further into the house. JJ follows him, watching him from afar. His erratic behavior and his disregard for time led JJ to believe he was definitely intoxicated.
"They live here?" It was a question, but JJ was sure it was a statement. Up until this point JJ had remained quiet, allowing Caleb to study the photo. She wasn't sure how to proceed but she was sure that she couldn't let him leave the house like this.
"The older one is Henry, and the younger one is Jamie. They are your brothers." JJ says, stepping a little closer to Caleb. Caleb's eyes remained glued to the picture and JJ allows him a minute to study the photo, while she figured out what to do next.
"They look happy." Caleb says with a bit of sadness laced in his voice.
"Jen?" The voice pulls JJ's attention away from the teenager. Emily was half asleep when her wife left the bed, and when she didn't return, she went to find her wife. JJ makes concerned eye contact with her wife.
"What's going on?" Emily asks softly, surprised to see the teen standing in her living room.
"I'm not sure." JJ responds back just as soft. The moms watch their son for a moment, deciding on how to proceed.
"I'm glad you guys got a happy ending." Caleb says, turning and offering them a small smile.
"I wouldn't call it a happy ending." Emily responds carefully.
"What would you call it?" Caleb challenged, plopping down on the couch; standing was becoming a chore in his intoxicated state.
"Trying to move forward." Emily q bites back quickly. Hazy blue, meets the dark eyes of his mother, and couldn't help but to feel the brick of anxiety hit his stomach once again. JJ looks over at her wife, who was staring into the young teen. She wasn't sure how she wanted to proceed, but she needed to know how intoxicated the boy actually was.
"Caleb, have you been drinking?" JJ asks, her voice was soft, not wanting to scare the teen, but she couldn't help to be slightly upset. He was too young. Too young to be drinking and too young to be in this much pain…
"I shouldn't be here." Caleb slurs out. He stumbles up and off the couch and was headed towards the door before Emily stopped him.
"Yes you should. It's your home." Emily's words rang in his ears, the same words she spoke to him just a day earlier.
"I appreciate the hospitality, but let's just be honest. This isn't my home." Caleb was surprised by his ability to string together words, but his words were starting to come out faster than he could think. Caleb notices his words catch Emily off guard enough to step around her and head towards the door. Emily and JJ make eye contact and they silently decide that they couldn't let him leave, not again. They walk after him, wanting to make sure he didn't leave the house, while keeping a safe distance. They didn't want him to feel boxed in or like he had no escape.
"Caleb! Please stay, we want you to stay." JJ's voice is enough to stop Caleb in his tracks. He could feel his head start to hurt as he fought back what felt like a memory. Her voice gave him comfort, it was like home.
"No! You don't! And if you do, you shouldn't!" Caleb explodes, swinging around to face them. "I'm NOTHING, I'm not to be missed. You were lucky to loose me." His blue eyes burned with anger, he refused to be sad, or broken, not in front of them. JJ could feel her heart drop in her stomach, how could he think so little of himself. How could he think she was lucky to loose him?
"Lucky?? Caleb, I died that day. I loved you with every fiber of my being. I carried you in my body for 10 months. I love you-"
"No! You don't know me! How could you love me?" Caleb shakes his head. He could feel the anger bubbling in his chest. "I don't even know you! How I am supposed to trust ANYTHING?!" Tears burn in JJ's eyes as she listens to him. Her son, her boy, he was in so much pain. And there was nothing she could do for him.
"Caleb…"
"I can't trust you!! Just send me back, let me rot with Thornwood!" Caleb runs a rough hand though his hair. JJ flinches at Caleb's words, but simply filed it away for another time. She knew now wasn't the time.
Moments of his past life, flash through his mind. His eyes finally meet theirs, searching for… he wasn't sure but he was met with pain. He caused them pain, and the guilt rushed through his body, causing him to turn around and rush towards the door.
"Caleb.." Emily catches his arm, stopping him. Caleb flinches in her grasp, causing Emily to let go immediately. Caleb presses his back against the front door, staring at both of them. His icy blue eyes were wide with fear, and his breathing became shallow.
"Hey.. It's ok, I'm not going to hurt you." Emily says, her voice soft. She take a small step back, trying to give him some space; she didn't want him to feel cornered. They watch as his face drops from fear to sorrow. His blue eyes fill with tears, and suddenly he's sobbing. His arm comes around to wrap a protective arm around his stomach. His sobs become uncontrollable and start wracking his body. JJ could feel her own tears slide down her face, as Emily turns back to look at her. They have a silent conversation and they both step forward slowly, JJ walks over to her son, pulling him off the door and into her arms. His head falls forward on her shoulder, his tears soaking her shirt. She could feel his sobs in her own body as she held him. Emily comes behind Caleb, holding him from behind, her head resting on his back, trying to hold him tightly. They soon find themselves on the floor, the boys sobs filling the silent air of their home. The pain radiating from him was enough to make them both cry. Their own tears sliding silently down their faces.
xxxxxx
"Are you hungover?" The unfamiliar voice is sudden, and it causes Caleb to snap his head off of his pillow. He was laying on his stomach, with his arms tucked under the pillow. He groans at the sudden movement, before he turns his head to find the source of the voice.
"What?" He asks. His voice heavy with sleep and stale alcohol. His eyes were blurry at first, but when they came to, he was met with a boy with long sandy blonde hair, and blue eyes. He was wearing what looked like soccer shorts, but nothing else.
"Hungover." The boy asks again. Caleb let's his head fall back on the pillow, groaning.
"Who are you?" He asks, slightly irritated. He wants to be asleep, the pounding in his head told him he was in fact hungover, but he didn't want to have to explain it.
"James Lucas Prentiss. Are you hungover?" Jamie asks again. That's the thing about being 5, he can ask a question until it's answered.
"What is happening?" Caleb asks, feeling like he was stuck in a time loop. As he was pulled further into consciousness, the night before started coming back to him. He came here, completely wasted, against the counsel of Callie and Jude… and he cried, a lot.
"Shit." Caleb groans, dropping his head on the pillow in frustration. He takes a few breaths, trying to plan his next few moves. He needed to get out of here and fast, but there was a problem. He lifts his head up to look at the younger boy, who was still studying him carefully.
"Jamie! Mom said to leave him alone." Another much older voice causes Caleb to turn his head away from the sandy blonde haired boy and over to the older boy. His blonde hair was lighter, and shorter, but his eyes just like Jamie's matched his own.
"Juice?" Henry holds out a glass of orange juice. Caleb studies it for a second before he pushes himself up, so he was sitting up, before taking the glass from Henry.
"Thanks." Caleb says, before taking a sip. He sighs, as the cool liquid soothes his throat. He nods his head towards Henry, before taking another sip.
"What's your name?" Caleb asks, swallowing the liquid in his mouth, and running a hand through his hair.
"Henry."
"I guess that makes me your brother. Nice to meet you guys." Caleb downs the rest of the juice, placing the cup gently on the table in front of him, before scooting forward on the couch. He reaches down, and pulls his shoes on quickly.
"You're leaving?"
"Yea, think you guys can cover for me?" Caleb asks, looking up briefly from tying his shoes.
"Mom said you're supposed to stay here." Henry says, his voice unsure. His mom wasn't specific on why he was supposed to stay here, but she told him that the strange teenager who also happened to be his brother is supposed to stay here, and Jamie is supposed to leave him alone.
"Not for a couple days at least. Come on, call it brotherly bonding." Caleb says standing up. He towers over the two younger boys, leaving a nervous feeling in Henry's stomach.
"We're not supposed to lie." Jamie became the voice of reason. Henry agrees with his younger brother, pushing his blonde hair from his face.
"Well that's the great part. I'm not asking you to lie. Just give me a few minutes. Then you can tell them." Caleb checks his pockets as he looks around. He couldn't remember what he came here with, but all he really needed was his phone and his vape, which both still sat in his pockets. Jamie furrows his eye brows at the older boys logic, before looking up to Henry. He wasn't sure what to do, and he knew that Henry always knew what to do.
"I don't know…" Henry starts but he was cut off by Caleb stepping around them.
"Thanks." Caleb makes his way to the front door, and slips out of it undetected, again.
xxxxx
PHEW. Oh boyyyyy. A lot to unpack there! What did you guys think!! Please review any thoughts or predictions, I love hearing from you guys, it's my favorite part of writing. Next time we will see a little more interaction with Caleb's "parents" and we will see how the Jareau-Prentiss household is doing in preparation for Caleb to move in. Until next time.
