The Melody We Make (Brallie FanFic)

23. Right Where You Belong

"Welcome home, B!" Stef dropped Brandon's bags by the door. Mariana gestured to Jesus to pick them up and carry them upstairs. Brandon took turns giving each sibling a hug. First, Mariana, then Jude, and when Jesus got downstairs again they shook hands.

"Callie working tonight?" he asked, glancing to Mariana. The family exchanged glances before Jude piped up

"No, she's not," Brandon looked around and noticed the family leaving him with Jude

"We're going to get the table ready for your first dinner at home," Lena said kissing his cheek as she embraced him once again,

"We're going to set the table et cetera," Mariana said pulling Jesus along with her,

"Okay... whats going on?" Brandon was now looking at Jude directly, "If this is about what happened in the hospital-- it wasn't-" he started,

"Its not about that," Jude responded trying carefully to think of what to say next

"They didn't send her away, they wouldn't," the panic began to rise in Brandon's voice as he tried to think of the million different problems with what was happening here.

"Callie is at Robert's, she left this morning," relief flooded Brandon's face

"Oh, so she'll be back on Sunday,"

"No, um, she's living with him now," Brandon eyed Jude skeptically

"No she's not, that doesn't make sense, she wouldn't leave you-- not in a million years,"

"Yes she would, she left because," the confusion on Brandon's face made the next words Jude had to say a little bit harder to come out, "she left because I told her to, I mean I asked her, but I told her she needed to find her happiness,"

"Jude, what are you--" Brandon let out an exasperated sigh, "She was happy here Jude, she was happy with us,"

"You and I both know that is only partially true and I would appreciate it if you didn't lie about that,"

"Jude, I know what you think you-- we had it worked out, we were going to--"

"Wait?" Jude said shaking his head, "You were in a coma, Callie was a wreck, you-- you didn't see her, I love my sister, but she doesn't let people take care of her. I-- I couldn't take care of her, Robert did, and you do,"

"What are you saying?" Brandon said now unsure of exactly where this conversation was headed,

"I'm saying Callie has had a lot of bad things happen in her life. Lots of things have happened that I couldn't protect her from. She was always looking out for me, but now I have moms to look out for me and of the handful of people my sister has let in-- you are the closest to her. She trusts you, she cares about you, she was willing to risk a lot just to be with you, and the big reason she didn't was because she thought she needed THIS family,"

"Your saying she doesn't?" Brandon was getting frustrated, this is where Callie belonged,

"I'm saying she needed family, and Robert is family. At the hospital he was the only one she broke in front of. She needed someone to do that with and without you here-- she didn't have that in this family,"

"Jude- I,"

"She deserves to be happy, Brandon. She deserves to be freaking happy. We all deserve to be with the people we love," Jude looked Brandon in the eye, "I was wrong before-- I told you that you were, that you were like Liam, I was wrong and I shouldn't-- I shouldn't have said that. You aren't,"

"Jude! Can you bring the platter from the dining room?" Lena shouted from the kitchen

"Yeah I can," Jude looked up at Brandon, then stuck out his hand. Brandon looked at him, Jude had grown so much in the last year-- it was unreal.