Breaking The Rules: a Foster's Fan Fiction

Part 1. Breaking the Rules Chapter 1. Made To Be Broken

          Disclaimer: I do not own The Fosters or any of the characters. All dialogue is my own.

Part 1. Breaking the Rules Chapter 1. Made To Be Broken

The house with the sloping roof stood before Callie, so familiar, so inviting. But would she be welcome back? How she wanted to just walk in the door, and find that the last three months never happened. Lena would be making dinner, and Jude would be at the table doing his schoolwork. She would hear Brandon playing his guitar upstairs, and Mariana talking to Lexi. They say you can't go home again. Would that be true in this home, where whoever you are, you belong? There was only one way to find out. Callie put her key in the lock and opened the front door.

"Hello?" She called softly. The house was dark and eerily quiet. She waited a minute before calling out again. No one answered. It was almost scary being in the silent house, when it was usually so full of life. How much had changed since she left? Where was everyone?

Callie looked around the first floor. Something was cooking in a crock pot on the kitchen stove, and there were dirty dishes in the sink. She figured that was a pretty good indication that the family didn't pick up and leave town, or get spirited away, leaving her behind. She breathed in the scent of whatever was cooking, and her stomach rumbled. She was hungry, but more tired than anything. She decided to go upstairs and rest in her room until someone came home.

The stairs creaked a bit beneath her feet, matching the familiar sounds of the house; the clock ticking, the metallic noise the pipes made. She reached the hall, and started toward the room she shared with Mariana. Or used to, before she left. She stopped, noticing Brandon's bedroom door was slightly ajar. Callie thought of the kiss she and Brandon shared at the wedding. That seemed so long ago now. She touched the edge of the door, pushing it open a few more inches with her fingertips. She looked in, and put her hand to her mouth. Brandon was there. He was laying on the bed, shirtless, listening to music on his iPod and drumming his fingers on his chest.

"Brandon?" Callie called softly. He didn't answer. The volume must have been turned up too high for him to hear her. Should she go to him? She had to. There was nothing else to do. Cautiously, she entered his room. When Brandon finally detected movement and turned to face her, his look of surprise almost made Callie laugh. He pulled his earbuds out of his ears.

"Callie?" He asked, almost in a whisper.

Callie couldn't help herself. Tears began to roll down her cheeks. Brandon sat up and held his arms out to her. "Come here," he said. Callie set down her bags and went to him, falling into his arms. She cried on his shoulder as her held her, pulling his fingers through her tangled hair. "It's okay, Callie. I'm here. You're home," he whispered. "I'm so happy you're safe." He continued holding her in his arms for several moments, then he kissed her softly. Callie turned to him, leaning into a longer kiss.

When they pulled away, she asked; "Where is everyone?"

"Well," said Brandon, "Mom's working, Lena's on a school trip with Jude, and Mariana and Jesus are out with friends."

"I guess everyone's gotten by without me," Callie said regretfully. She couldn't help feeling hurt.

Brandon looked her in the eye. "Not true," he said. "Everyone's been out of their minds worrying about you. Especially Jude."

Callie looked down in shame. "Is he okay?"

"He really misses you," Brandon replied. "And he kind of blames himself for your leaving, but we've all be reassuring him that's not true."

"I didn't want that," Callie confided. Her eyes burned with tears.

Brandon took a deep breath, then asked; "Why did you leave? I thought you were happy here. Happy with me."

"I was!" Callie told him. "You mean the world to me. All of you! That's why I left. I just... couldn't hurt Jude again. I didn't want to risk us getting kicked out of the house. I thought it would be better if I just left and he stayed. He didn't do anything wrong."

"You didn't either, Callie," said Brandon. "I kissed you back. I could of walked away, but I didn't want to. And moms would never make you guys leave. They love you."

"I know, Brandon," Callie replied. "I know now that running away was a mistake. I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused. It's just that- it's too hard to deal with!"

"What do you mean?" Asked Brandon.

Callie blushed a shade of scarlet. "I'm in love with you, okay?" She mumbled. "It hurts too much knowing we can't be together."

Brandon cupped her chin in his hand. "Listen, Callie. I've been hurting too. I feel the same way about you. I have since the day you came here. You've been all I think about. And who says we can't be together?"

"But the rules..." Callie began.

Brandon gave her a meaningful look. "Rules are made to be broken."