a/n: Hello The Fosters fans! I can't believe the last time I posted a Fosters fanfic it was 2013. If you read that story I'm sorry. I just can't continue it. Well now I have this one-shot for you. This is a Stef and Callie moment story because I love their mother/daughter relationship and their scenes together. The title is a song lyric from Where You Belong by Kari Kimmel (which is the theme song of the show) The characters and lyrics don't belong to me. I re-wrote the scene and added more, so some of the dialogue doesn't belong to be either. Hope you enjoy.
Stef arrived to the scene with a pit in her stomach. As soon as she heard the location of the accident, her heart raced and she sped over to the scene right away. All that registered in her brain was that it was near Callie's job, there was a small crash and someone walked into traffic.
Her mind raced with the idea that it was Callie. She knew her foster daughter had a habit of walking off when she had enough or needed an escape. Luckily other officers were on the case, and all Stef had to do was talk to whoever walked into traffic.
As soon as she parked her police car, she saw Callie ran to her and hugged her. "Callie, you okay?"
"I'm fine"
Stef gave her a skeptical look.
"I promise"
She believed her and look in the scene surrounding her. She didn't even notice Robert, Jill or Sophia standing there. She wanted to question what happened, why they were here when Callie specifically said she only wanted to see Robert. But she knew she couldn't question as Callie's mother, she had to question as a police officer.
"What happened?" She asked, looking around for any clues. She noticed that Sophia herself looked a little out of it.
"Sophia, you okay?"
She looked down and said. "Callie and I got into an argument and I wasn't paying attention to where I was going so I walked into traffic" She looked off to the distance to the cars that crashed to save her life. "I'm so embarrassed"
Stef looked between Callie and her sister. She figured she would ask about it later.
"I gave the drivers my information. We are paying for all the damages" Robert informs her.
"Sophia, honey, you have to be careful" Stef warned.
Sophia nodded, and turned to face her mom, signaling she was ready to go. Robert turned to Callie. "Thanks for calling Callie"
She just nodded and looked away to the accident scene then looked back. Stef noticed a certain look in her daughter's eyes. But held off the questioning.
"Wait" She called out to the Quinns. Sophia gave her sister a pleading look, but Callie looked away. She looked at Robert.
"It wasn't an accident" Callie confessed. "We were having a fight and she told me that if I didn't forgive her, she'd kill herself"
Both Robert and Jill eyes their teenage daughter with overwhelming concern.
Stef watched Callie explain carefully, knowing this had effects on her daughter as well.
"She walked into traffic" Callie explained, then managed to look Sophia in the eyes. "You know it wasn't an accident"
"Sophia" Jill's fragile tone was heartbreaking. She couldn't imagine what Jill is feeling, just learning her daughter wanted to end her life, and nearly succeeded. "Is that true?"
Sophia nodded, unable to speak.
"Why?" Robert's voice was so pleading, desperate for answers.
"Sometimes I just wanna die" Sophia finally said.
Callie looked away from her sister, unable to hear those words. Stef noticed this.
Sophia looked at her parents. " I don't really think I can do this anymore"
Stef looked at Callie for some reaction, but Callie looked down.
"Come on, let's get you home" Jill said, as she led Sophia to the car.
Stef watched as Jill and Sophia walked away and she felt her heart break. No matter what happened between her daughter and Sophia, she knew no one deserved to feel the way Sophia did.
Stef watched Callie carefully, but her face remained emotionless.
Putting up a strong front Stef thought, Just like me.
As Robert took a seat and cried, Stef racked her brain for anything comforting to say but couldn't find the right words.
If Stef were to be honest, with a house full of teenagers she's been blessed with not having any of her kids deal with depression or suicidal tendencies. She couldn't imagine what Robert was going through as a parent.
She watched as Callie offered a shoulder squeeze of comfort to Robert.
"Excuse me" Callie muttered with her voice cracked. She took off her apron and dropped it on the table and walked away.
"Callie" Stef called after her, she got no response. She followed her as she walked away further away from the diner.
"Callie" She called again, Stef placed her hand on Callie's shoulder. Callie turned around and quickly wiped her tears.
"I'm sorry"
"Don't apologize for feelings love" Stef said. "Now tell me what's wrong"
"I'm her breaking point" Callie said with tears. "I'm the reason she wanted to kill herself"
"No baby, that's not what happened" She wiped her daughter's tears. "Sophia was going to have a breaking point regardless. Suicidal intentions are long lasting thoughts. She didn't just wake up this morning and decided this. She had these feelings for a while"
"I feel so terrible" Callie said. "You saw it Stef, she lied to them. I had to tell them, if I didn't tell them she could've gone home and killed herself and it's all my fault"
" Honey, you can not blame yourself for this" Stef said, Callie looked down. She tilted Callie's chin to look her in the eyes. "And you will not blame yourself, understand"
Callie continued to cry and Stef knew there was something more to this. Callie wouldn't just cry like this out of guilt. She knew Callie would hide her feelings. She knew there is something more to how her daughter is feeling.
"Callie, what's wrong?"
Callie sighed as she wiped her tears. "Hearing Sophia tell her mom and dad she didn't want to live was so triggering" She admitted.
"Triggering?"
"It's not just the guilt of knowing I'm the reason why. It's the guilt of not knowing she was going through this"
"Nobody knew Callie"
"But I should've known!" Callie said, more tears streaming down her face. " I should've known, because I felt that way before. It takes one to know one right?"
"Going through all those foster homes and living the way I did, made me not want to live" She admitted to Stef. She never mentioned this to anybody before. It was a private battle she held inside for to long. " Hearing Sophia say those words to her parents reminded me, if I were ever to say those words back then, I had no parents. Nobody would've cared if I died" She was sobbing now, and Stef hopelessly watched. She was speechless yet again.
"Seeing her walk into traffic, reminded me of all the times I wish I did. All those suicidal feelings came rushing back, and I don't want to deal with them anymore"
Stef pulled Callie into a hug. "Callie, love, breathe baby"
Callie took deep breaths and calmed down, controlling her sobs.
"You deserve a life, okay? You deserve happiness. I love you baby girl, I love you. Your my daughter. You have me. Okay" Stef promised as she hugged her daughter closer.
"I love you and I care about you so much. You can't feel that way" Stef said. "Not anymore, not ever again"
"I don't feel that way anymore. I love you and Lena and everyone in that house. It's just..today..." Knowing that Callie was going to cry again, Stef pulled her into another hug.
"It's okay love, you have me now. You always got my love, okay. I love you"
"I love you too" Callie said as she hugged back, starting to feel a little bit better. Realizing this is all she ever wanted, and she finally got it.
a/n: Well, it wasn't a perfect ending. But it's an ending I'm satisfied with. I hope you like it and feel free to share your thoughts. Did I keep everyone in character? I really do adore Callie and Stef moments and I hope I did it justice with this story.
Also if anybody ever feels the way Sophia does just know, live is worth living. I promise you. Take it from someone who use to feel the way Sophia did, but luckily had some amazing people in their life to save them. Sure, everyday is not perfect, but that's the way life is suppose to be. If anybody ever feels that way, feel free to pm me. I'd love to talk.
Thank you for reading
Stay strong loves.
-Summer