What have I done?!

Jude's face is frozen in an expression of shock. He instantly regrets what he had just said, he looks to Connor who seems to be struggling for a response – his eyes show shock, his fists clenched in apprehension.

Jude cannot help but feel that he has let Connor down. And so soon too. Of course, he had not meant for it to slip out, he would never want to put Connor in that position of awkwardness – especially not with Adam still trying to adapt to the idea that his son is gay. He had been caught up in the humour of the moment and hadn't thought before he spoke.

And yes, a small part of him was also terrified that he had angered Connor.

Oh crap! What now?!

It took Connor a split second to register the real implications of what Jude had just said. At first, he had been caught up in how good it felt to hear Jude calling him his boyfriend. Then, almost instanyl, reality crashed in and he understood that it was heard by not only all of Jude's family – but Adam as well.

He stood on the spot, fists clenched, fearful of his father's reaction. He could feel the shock on his face and fought desperately to appear calm, for Jude's sake as well as his own. He didn't want to show weakness in front of the others.

"What did you call him?" Adam asked again, snapping the room back into the present.

Jude stammered, "I just…. I didn't mean to…"

"Boyfriend." Jesus spoke up, "That's what you called him."

"Jesus, not now!" Mariana hissed at her twin.

He in turn rolled his eyes, "What? It's not like we couldn't see this coming from a mile away."

Adam had not moved since Jude had spoken. While he didn't show any signs of anger, he was clearly unhappy at this revelation. And who could blame him? Lena thought to herself, it would be a shock to any parent – herself included, even though she had already prepared for the possibility.

"I don't think so many people in one room is a good idea." Stef said, looking to her children. "Why don't you guys take a walk, maybe get some air, huh?"

"And miss what's coming next?" Mariana protested, "We're good."

Stef looked at her, raising an eyebrow, "That wasn't a suggestion, young lady, it was an order."

Grumbling their disappointment, they all made their way to the door and filed out one by one. Each sparing a glance backward to encourage Jude and Connor.

With the door closed, and the hospital room now much emptier, attention was returned to Jude and Connor who had not spoken or moved.

"Well," Lena said calmly, looking from one face to the other, "I think we all have something to talk about."

"I'm starting to notice a pattern developing here," Brandon complained after they had all left the room.

"What's that?" Jesus questioned.

"We're always booted out right before the good conversations start."

Callie wasn't so sure, she had been quiet since Jude has slipped the word 'boyfriend' so easily. "I'm not sure, you guys." She told her siblings, "With Connor's dad in there, I don't think it's going to be much of a good conversation at all."

Mariana nodded, "He says he is trying, but how do we know?"

"Are you really worried?" Jesus asked seriously, for once, "Should we go back in?"

Callie actually seemed to contemplate this for a moment. She didn't like the idea of abandoning Jude at such a time. But she also knew that he was not really left to face the possible threat of Adam Stevens alone.

"I don't think that would be a good idea, Jesus." She responded, "Besides, he has moms in there with him – Connor too."

It was early evening now and the hospital was becoming busier as family and friends came to visit their loved ones in the various wards. The passage they now walked down was busy enough that they had to treat it like a road – keep right, pass left.

Without any real idea what to do, they headed back to the waiting room in which they had all first gathered on the night that Jude had been shot. None of them were particularly thrilled at the idea of being back there – partly because of the circumstances and also because, honestly, no matter how much they tried, a hospital waiting room would never feel as comfortable as a living room.

"Gotta love what they have done with the place," Mariana said sarcastically as they entered.

"What have they done?"

Brandon and Callie chuckled at Jesus. "Nothing, doofus," he teased, "Mariana was being sarcastic.

"Oooh." He responded, "Well why didn't you say so?"

"Really?" she said incredulously, "How are we related?!"

Taking seats on different chairs and sofas, so that they could stretch out a bit, they fell silent for a while, each contemplating the events of the last few hours and what might happen when the adults finally came out of Jude's room.

Brandon was first to break the silence, "Do you think they are going to make Jude and Connor, I dunno, like not be boyfriends?"

"I'm not sure." Jesus said, "But I think Connor is a good kid now. I mean, I didn't like him much before but then I realised it was his father.

Brandon nodded, "Yeah, I think we all missed how much a part he played in making Jude happier here."

"You think that's a possibility?" Mariana asked, referring to Brandon's earlier question.

"Well," he explained, "Connor's dad might be a jerk about it and…"

"But he said he was trying to change." Jesus interjected.

"That doesn't mean that he actually has," Brandon said, "He could be just saying that."

Callie had been listening, and now spoke up too, "I'm not sure he was. Just saying it I mean."

"How so?"

"He didn't seem like he was lying when he said, and Connor didn't look frightened being around him like he was the other night."

"He did look pretty nervous though," Jesus countered.

"Wouldn't you be?" Mariana asked, "Coming to see the person you like for the first time? After getting him shot and coming out to your anger management father?"

"I don't know." Brandon admitted, "But I remember how hard it was for Jude when Connor wasn't allowed to sleep over anymore, or talk to him at school."

Jesus considered this, "Okay, sure that was rough. But I mean, Connor's dad was a jerk. That doesn't change over a few nights."

"But it can start to." Callie spoke, "I know I did, when Jude and I first came to stay with you guys. So did he."

"People can change." Brandon agreed. "But will that be enough to let them allow Jude and Connor to still see each other?"

Mariana had been listening attentively to her siblings, and now stepped in as the voice of reason, "You guys, seriously, have you met our mom's?" she asked them smiling, "There is no way they would let Adam try anything that would hurt Jude or Connor. At least not without putting up a good fight."

"True!" Jesus said excitedly, "And everyone knows, lesbians can't be homophobic."

Callie smiled and shook her head, Brandon covered his mouth.

"Sure, Jesus." Mariana deadpanned, "Did you learn that in Health class or Life Science?"

"Actually… I don't remember."

"So you think that Connor is your boyfriend now?" Adam asked, looking directly at Jude.

The boy seemed to shrink into the bed. Looking much smaller than he did a moment ago.

"Dad," Connor spoke, moving closer to Jude, "please don't."

"Hey, I'm just asking here."

Slipping into the mediator role, Lena came forward, "Okay, let's all just take a breath. Jude, honey, look at me," she said, putting a hand gently on his forearm.

Reluctantly, the boy looked up, there were tears welling in his eyes, a paleness setting into his cheeks.

"It's alright," she continued, "nobody here is angry with you – or Connor."

"Mama's right, love, you just took us by surprise that's all."

"I…. I didn't mean to," Jude said softly, looking more to Connor than the others.

Spurred on by seeing Jude look so vulnerable, Connor squared his shoulders and took the smaller boy's hand in his own. "I know. It's alright, really." He looked to his father, a mixture of defiance and pleading in his eyes, "Isn't it, dad?"

Adam rubbed at his templates, fighting within himself to keep calm. He had promised to Connor that he was going to try and he meant it. Old habits die hard thought and anger had always been his first response to the unfamiliar.

"Of course," he said roughly, "it's just that… well, this is all new and I… don't know."

"I think what Mr Stevens means," said Stef, "is that we are all a bit overwhelmed with what has been happening in our lives the last few days."

"It hasn't been easy for any of us," Lena supported her wife, "especially you boys."

"You're not going to get mad?" Connor asked, still holding Jude's hand.

Adam let out a pent up breath, "No, Connor. We're not. I'm not."

"Okay." He said relieved, "Okay, that's good, 'cause I thought…"

"I promised." Adam said simply.

Both boys looked visibly relieved at his seemingly committed response. Neither of them though, knew what to say next.

Stef covered for them, avoiding an awkward silence, "Maybe it would be helpful to Mr Stevens – and us – if you boys explained a little bit."

"Yeah," Adam agreed, "I'd like to know a bit more."

Lena looked from Connor to Jude and rubbed her bed-ridden son's arm, "Is that okay with you, bubba?" she asked, "You feeling alright?"

He nodded, "I'm fine, Mama."

"How about you, Connor? You good?" Stef asked the other boy.

He hesitated a moment, contemplating, "Yeah, I'm goo… I'm good if Jude is."

Aware that Adam was brand new to this, and wrestling with his previously bad reactions, that Jude was not in perfect health and Connor was defensive of the smaller boy, Stef did not want things complicated.

"Perhaps we can just keep it simple, what you boys say?" she said cheerfully, "This isn't an interrogation after all."

Everyone smiled at the small joke. Connor's shoulders visibly releasing some of the tension he had been holding.

Looking around the room, Adam quickly pulled over two chairs for Stef and Lena – opting to lean against the window ledge himself. Connor refusing to let go of Jude's hand or move away from his bedside.

Clearing his throat, he asked, "How did, I mean, when did this start?" He moved his hand slowly to indicate that he meant the relationship between Jude and his son.

"It's kinda hard to know for sure," Connor started, "It was different for Jude than for me I think."

"Okay. In what way?"

The blonde boy took a breath, "For me it started when Jude was asked out on a date one day over at your place." He looked to Stef and Lena, not yet ready to face his father.

"Maddie?" Jude looked to him, confused.

"Um… yeah." Connor said sheepishly, "I mean that's not when I knew I was, you know…gay, or anything. But I got really jealous that you were going out with her."

"That's when you wondered about your ah… sexuality?" Adam asked.

Connor nodded. "But I didn't admit accept it until the tent."

"The camping trip?" Adam asked a bit loudly, "I knew something happened on that trip."

Lena stepped in calmly, "Jude told us about that earlier."

"We didn't mean to lie." He said, looking to Connor's father.

The man nodded, "No, I suppose not."

"I don't remember anything really happening after that though," Stef noted, "Didn't you boys sort of fall out?"

"We did." Jude said softly.

"That was mostly because of me. I was angry that Jude had told you and I was scared of what the," he looked uncertainly at his father, "of what the kiss in the tent made me realise."

"And that's enough to make you 'boyfriends' now is it?" Adam asked, sounding a little argumentative.

Jude gripped Connor's hand a bit tighter, he had grown pale and a sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead.

"There is more to it," he told the man, "but I really do like Jude, and… and I do want to go out with him."

"I… I want that too." Jude said, his voice sounding strained.

"We know that, love," Stef said to him.

Adam looked unsure, "I don't know. You're both very young."

Both boys looked at him before he continued, "What would people say about two teen boys going out openly?"

"I don't think that's something we need to worry about, Adam." Lena tried to reassure him, "As I told you, Anchor Beach has a very strict anti-bullying policy."

Suddenly, feeling overwhelmed by the situation, Jude turned to Adam, "Please don't make him stay away again?"

"Whoa, I never said I was going to do tha…."

"But you might!" Jude retaliated, trying to raise himself up.

"I'm trying my best here, Jude, honestly." Adam said.

"How do…" he was shaking, "how do we know you…." He collapsed against the pillows. His moms standing up and moving to his side.

"Jude, honey," Lena said soothingly, "try to relax. Nobody is going to make Connor stay away."

Looking to his father, who had also moved closer from the window ledge, Connor implored, "I'm the reason he is in here, I know that, but please don't make it worse."

Adam hated the sound of fear and desperation in his son's voice. He moved to his side and, hesitantly, placed an hand on Jude's shoulder, keeping his touch light, the boy looked at him a with apprehension, "I didn't mean to upset you, kid." Jude nodded.

"And I mean it, I won't keep Connor from seeing you."

"That's very reasonable of you, Adam." Lena remarked, helping to calm her son. "We appreciate that."

"Thanks, dad." Connor said.

Before they could continue, there was a light knock on the door as it swung open. Dr Bredeweg walked in, a nurse close behind. "Good evening." He greeted warmly, "It seems I'm interrupting a family meeting – but I do have an appointment." He joked.

Stef and Lena stepped forward, greeting him in return. Connor noted the doctor taking in the sight before him, his hand still holding Jude's. "Is visiting time over?" he asked.

"I'm afraid it is," the doctor confirmed. "Jude has had a busy day, he needs his rest."

Connor looked crestfallen, but he knew that the older man was right. Jude looked tired.

Adam nodded to Jude, trying for a reassuring smile, and then started toward the door.

Stef and Lena came up and hugged him in turn, planting a kiss on his forehead. "We'll be back in the morning, bubba." Lena told him, before they too turned for the door

Connor looked down at him, "I'll be back too, promise." Jude smiled at him, melting Connor's heart. He glanced around quickly and, before he left, seeing the adults engaged in a conversation with the doctor, he planted a quick kiss on Jude's cheek, pleased to see a smile and colour return to the other boy's face.

Dr Bredeweg had walked with the group to the door, standing in the hall with them and speaking for a moment. When he returned to Jude's bed, the nurse had busied herself setting up the blood pressure cuff and recording the readings before leaving the room.

"How are you feeling, Jude?" he asked, taking penlight from his breast pocket.

"A little tired," he answered honestly.

"I can imagine," the doctor said, shining the light into each of Jude's eyes. Pupil reaction was much better, the drugs from the induced coma were working their way out of his system. "You look a bit sweaty too." He chuckled.

Jude fought down a blush.

"As long as you weren't arm wrestling with your friend." Dr Bredeweg teased while taking his pulse. "Connor, isn't it?"

Jude nodded.

The nurse came back in with a new IV bag.

"Your pulse is a bit high," he remarked, "you're going to need to keep calm and rest some more, even when you have visitors." Again, Jude nodded.

"I think, for the next couple days, lets mark the door for family members only." Dr Bredeweg told the nurse.

"No.' Jude said abruptly, "I mean…. What about Connor?"

The doctor looked at him reassuringly, "Not to worry, you'll be able to see your friend again soon."

"But, he isn't my friend," Jude said softly.

"He's not?"

He met the doctor's eyes shyly, "He… he's my boyfriend."

"Is that so?" Dr Bredeweg solemnly, "Well, then there's nothing else we can do…"

"Please?" Jude asked quietly

"Nurse Lopez," the doctor said, no longer hiding his grin, "We need to get the young Connor a VIP visitors card."

The nurse – Jennifer, her name tag read – smiled and winked at Jude playfully, "I'll get right on it, Sir."

Jude's cheeks blushed at the easy acceptance and teasing. Grateful for their kindness. "Thank you," he told each of them.

"Think nothing of it - just doing our job." Dr Bredweg said kindly.

"You're welcome, sweetie." Nurse Lopez said.

"Now," the doctor declared, holding out a tablet to Jude, "Take this… and call me in the morning."