Callie and Brandon: A Love Above Family

Chapter 23: Lena & Stef

Lena POV

Lena looked around the room, her family sat dotted about - well as many of the family that they had been able to muster. Callie has called and asked for them to get everyone together. Something big was about to happen, Lena knew it with ever fibre of her being. She had an inkling of what it may be but she didn't want to presume. She never liked to presume. She loved all her children, and she loved them enough to let them make their own choices but she also let them deal with the consequences of those actions. Her dear Stef was rather different from her, Stef felt like she needed to protect her children from the choices they made, that they could learn from her mistakes and not have to deal with the same pain as she did. Lena loved her for it but knew today was not one of those days, and somebody's heart was going to break.

Lena saw them get out of the car together, she wasn't surprised at all that Brandon was with her and that it was still only 9 am. Lena called out to the family Jude, Stef, Jesus and even Connor (he was part of the family now) to sit down at the table. The minute passed by very slowly for Lena, everyone else was sat chatting about the big moves and what was happening but Lena was quiet, she was mentally preparing herself for everything to come.

When they walked in, they were holding hands and it said it all really. It was a bold statement for them, but she guessed years of waiting had taken its toll on their patience. Lena looked towards Stef, her wife - the only true she had ever known and she sent out a small prayer of hope that this would not destroy them.

Stef POV

Stef looked up sharply when she heard the door go, she wasn't really sure what to expect as Callie had been fairly brief with her explanations for this talk. It didn't take long for the truth to settle in though. As soon as she saw those entwined hands, she knew they'd crossed a line. What had they done. They were family, they were brother and sister. It was wrong. How could they not see that. 

Stef took a sharp in-take of breath. She would lose her boy over this. Brandon would choose Callie over her. She knew it with every fibre of her being, and she wanted to scream out loud and tell them it wasn't fair. Tell them both they couldn't do this to their family. How could they be together, when it would destroy them all. Stef didn't want to even contemplate what her Lena was thinking right now because she knew it wouldn't be the same. They'd always had different ways of dealing with these things. Lena was more patience. Kinder. When Stef was unable to be that person, Lena was but this time it would be too much for Stef. She wanted to cry, she wanted to shout. So instead she just said nothing. She just looked at them both. They were stood together looking at them all with sad but hopeful eyes. 

Brandon spoke first, 'Hello everyone. We want to share something with you, something that may come as a shock and a surprise but we can't live like we've been living any longer. We love you all very much, and we're sorry if this will cause you any pain. Callie and I love each other more than family, and we want to be together now. We've both been unhappy without each other for the past 6 years. So we need to try, otherwise we will always feel empty. You are the family we love, we hope that you will still love us too.'

The silence in the room was so fragile, it could have been shattered with a shift of a body. Stef felt like her insides had frozen. Her thoughts tumbling through every bad thought it could. She fought hard to keep them inside, because she knew they were words she would never be able to come back from. No matter how terrible she felt inside right now, she could not bare to lose her son forever and if she said these words there could be no doubt who would lose the most. For 3 slow, agonising minutes Stef hated Callie like she had never hated anyone in her life. It wasn't fair to Callie, it wasn't fair to Brandon but still she felt it. Horrible thoughts continued to churn until the decision was made. It was the only decisions she could handle right now that might give them some hope in the future, it was a terrible one but it was better than saying the things she so desperately wanted to shout. She would lose now but her boy would be protected.

Brandon was looking at her with hopefulness, she felt a icy dagger plunge through her heart. This was the only way for her family to survive, survive without her. 'Brandon and Callie, It must have been hard to come forward to us. So I thank you for that.' Brandon's mouth started to turn up into a smile, so she rushed forward to get it out before she couldn't. 'However I am sorry I cannot support this. If you choose to be together and the family accepts it, I will leave. I won't break up this family by being in the way but I cannot, and will not be around it. You are family and this is wrong. I love you Brandon. And I love you Callie. But I cannot love you together.'

Stef turned away from the glistening eyes of her son, towards her family. She looked at her beautiful wife to see how bad her words were and she was right. Lena looked devastated. She knew Lena would not forgive her for making her choose but Stef could not see another way through this. If they had the right to choose how they lived, why couldn't Stef. 

She looked at her other children and saw in their eyes, that they would be more forgiving. Jude looked accepting, Jesus looked ruffled but she could see he wouldn't demand anything. Connor had taken a step back, as if out of place in a family he called his own. The last child Mariana loved her sister too much to ever let her go. Her heart broke into a thousand pieces.

Lena POV

Lena knew it would be bad for Stef but when the words came out of her wife's mouth, it took her a few moments to really come to terms with what she had said. Lena had been left with a terrible choice. Side with her wife and condemn their relationship, or give her blessing for them to be together and lose Stef. It was breaking her heart. Stef was looking directly in her eyes, they burned through her. Her beautiful, beautiful wife was doing something terrible to them. She knew inside Stef was being torn up. Stef just couldn't handle the two of them being together, being in love. Lena knew she could handle it but could she handle being without Stef? On the other hand, would they ever be able to get over this. Would their love survive after Stef had made them disown their children? Probably not.

Brandon was crying now and looked devastated. In those few moments, Lena knew exactly what decision she would make. The little boy she had told she would look after, would always need her to look after him. They had saved so many other little boys and girls, and filled their homes full of them. She knew she could never abandoned him. Her love for him, ran the deepest it could. It was strange, looking at Stef now. Stef was too proud, to realise what she would lose by not accepting them. They were family, but they loved each other above that. 

Lena looked Stef directly in the eyes and spoke, 'I love you Stef, more than moon loves the sun. The years of our lives we have spent together have filled me up with more love and light than you will ever know. But I will never abandon my children. I know you know that, which is why I think you asked this because deep down you don't want them to be alone. I beg of you to change your mind, to give yourself space. I choose them above all others including you, and I hope you will too one day.'

Stef POV

She did it, as Stef knew she would. Her beautiful ray of sunshine, would take care of them like she couldn't. It was terrible, it hurt like nothing else but it was the right thing to do. It was right for Lena to lead their family now. Stef didn't know whether she would ever be okay again but at least her babies would be wanted and kept safe from the dangers of the world. 

She just hoped for Brandon & Callie's sake, it was worth it. 

A/N: Only the epilogue left now!! Sad but pleased it's nearly done!!!