Stef knew it would come the moment the door clicked shut. All the hurt and anger that Lena was feeling was going to be directed at her. But she didn't mind. If it made her realize just how much she was needed and loved by their kids, by her, then it was all worth it. Imagining a life without Lena was the scariest thing Stef ever felt and if Lena's anger was the price to pay for helping her realize it, then so be it.

"How could you?" Lena started.

"I'm sorry Love, I..." Stef tried to explain but Lena cut her off.

"You eavesdropped on a private conversation and then used it against me and you forced me to share that with Callie." Lena said angrily but she clearly wasn't done. "Did you think for one second how that would make her feel? To know what I was feeling?"

"I did not make up Callie's feelings." Stef defended herself. "I just needed you both to see that you were both thinking the wrong thing."

"That wasn't for you to decide." Lena said bitterly.

"How can you say that?" Stef asked as tears filled her eyes. "You wanted to try and carry the baby for another eight weeks, Lena. I could have lost you. I can't loose you. I can't be a single mom. I need you."

Lena's expression softened but she remained silent.

"I know you're hurting baby." Stef continued. "I get that and I'm sorry. I'm hurting too. I loved that baby inside of you. But I couldn't bare to loose you and I needed you to fight for us."

"And the only way to do that was to put Callie in the middle?" Lena asked with an edge still in her voice.

"My telling you wasn't going to do much good. You needed to hear it from her. You needed to see for yourself just how important you are to them, to me." Stef said emphatically.

"I've already terminated." Lena said miserably. "What more do you want from me?"

"I want you to stop blaming yourself just like you told Callie to stop blaming herself. Just like I know that I can't blame myself. Love we would have lost the baby anyways. The only question was whether we were going to loose you with her."

Stef couldn't mask the pain in her eyes and she didn't even try to hold back her tears and it broke Lena's heart as Stef continued.

"I want you to know that you are loved, by all of us. The kids need you. I need you. And just because you aren't biologically connected to any of us don't mean that you don't belong."

Lena looked away. She knew what Stef said was true - if she had tried to carry the baby for another eight weeks she could have died and the baby would have died with her. Her mother had been right too - it took a ridiculous about of love to find the strength to put your children first. What would they have felt if she chose to die with the baby instead of fighting to stay with them.

Stef watched Lena and knew that she understood. It didn't stop the pain from the loss but at least now she knew that she had made the right decision, no matter how hard it was. When Lena finally looked back up at her with a forgiving expression on her face Stef didn't miss a beat before she was beside her, wrapping her up into a hug.

"And I wasn't trying to eavesdrop." She said softly, not letting go of her wife. "I was going to follow her in just in case she got too much for you and you needed me to intervene. But then I heard you and it broke my heart. Baby I don't ever want you to feel like you aren't a part of this family because you aren't just a part of it but the center of it. I love you so much Lena and I don't know what I'd do without you." She finished as a lump formed in her throat and a sob took over her body.

Lena wrapped her arms around her wife as well then, tears rolling down her own cheeks. No more words were said as the two held each other. Both comforting and supporting each other as they thought about all they had lost, but also all that they still had left.

Author's Note

Okay to be honest - I think this is my favorite of all my stories. The fact that it stems from the best Foster's episode yet really helped. I was supposed to be a one-shot but ended up being three chapters but in the end I think I covered all their feelings pretty well. I addressed some issues that weren't really covered in the show but I think would have been key points in reality.

I really hope that all of you like this story as much as I do because I don't think any of my other stories - already published or yet to be - could trump this one.

Love Junebug