I own nothing. Nor am I making any money from this.

Riding in the car with Wyatt had been actually comfortable, well, except for the growing ball of absolute dread in her stomach. It had started out small - the hot, bubbling molten ball of lava in the pit of her stomach.

At first she had been able to ignore it. She had felt worse, after all. But after passing the California border into Arizona, the molten lava was becoming all consuming.

But she couldn't get out and she couldn't turn back. She made a promise to no longer be selfish. And promises are one of the only things she has left. This is wrong. They love you, yes love. They would find a way to work this out. No they wouldn't. You'd be kicked to the curb, and you know how easy that happens. You're just another foster kid, there are thousands more out there. And Jude will be kicked out with you. You promised you wouldn't be selfish, but this is selfish. They're going to be worried, scared. They love you and they would want you to come home. Jude is better off without you, you could never give him what they can. Jude's the perfect foster child - the perfect child and you'd just be messing everything up. You always mess everything up.

"Callie?" Wyatt's voice brought her out of her internal debate. She turned to look at him. "Why now? Why'd you leave?"

"I made a promise."

"A promise to run away?" His voice was skeptical.

"Yeah." her voice was calm, was resolved.

They didn't talk anymore during the next hour. The lava was almost suffocating now. Crowding her ribs, making every breathe nearly impossible. The sun was just starting to set, a storm was coming. Dark rain clouds moving quickly against the blue night sky.

"I've got to stop at the next exit for gas, want me to grab you something?" Eating and drinking was not an option. She didn't think she could ever swallow again. She didn't deserve too.

The gas station was run down, and that was being nice. But the gas was cheap and it was right off the highway.

"You might want to get up and walk around. Stretch your legs a bit. I've got to fill her up." Callie nodded, her eyes on something on the side of the store. Wyatt didn't notice though.

Her legs were moving on their own accord, right to the payphone. If she just heard one of their voices, just for a few minutes, then maybe she could go through with it.

She fingers were moving on their own too. Dialing the number for the landline, putting the money into the phone, was all her hands and not her brain. Maybe her heart had taken over.

The phone rang once and then twice. "Hello?" Stef's voice flooded her body, and for just a minute she could breathe again. "Hellooo? Is anybody there?" Callie tried to speak, she really did but nothing came out.

"Callie? Baby? Is that you?" Stef's voice was soft, caring just like she had always known it to be. Stef would never hurt her, never harm her. "Callie weren't not mad, we just want you to come home baby. Just tell me where you are."

Callie opened her mouth to speak, to just say anything.

"Stef?" Her voice was just above a whisper, her throat was clogged with emotion, and she tried to say more, wanted to say more but she couldn't.

Stef's voice instantly filled with relief. "Callie, where are you, just tell me where you are."

"I want to come home." She was crying now and was just too damn tired to worry about it. "But I can't"

"Yes you can Callie, just tell me where you are and I will come bring you home."

"No I can't Stef. I pah-pah-promised. I can't be selfish anymore."

Stef's voice was starting to grow panicked, her tone elevated and her words were coming out faster.

"Wanting to come home is not being selfish Callie, I promise none of us are mad, we just want you back. We just want you home."

"I can't be selfish anymore." She shook her head as she said the words, trying to show her herself more then anything that she was serious.

"Baby, please, just tell me where you are!"

She couldn't support her own bodyweight anymore, leaning - nearly collapsing into the booth, she struggled to catch her breath. Her vision was fading at the edges, tunneling like a kaleidoscope. But like she always had too, she found her own strength.

She pulled herself up and her voice became resolved.

"Stef?"

"I'm right here, baby."

"I really messed up." She felt someone walk behind her and turned to tell Wyatt she just needed a few more minutes.

"Liam?" He voice came out in a horrified half scream half gasp.

"Nice to see you again." A cruel smile played across his lips.

Stef must have heard the exchange because then she was shouting, shouting through the phone. "Callie Run! Go find Wyatt!" How had she known Callie was with Wyatt? Oh yeah, cop.

But Callie couldn't because Liam was there, pressing her into the wall on the side of the store. Away from the view of the street, the people, and Wyatt. She dropped the phone and heard the metal cord crash against the side of the glass.

"You ruined my life. My parents life!" He half yelled as her pulled her off the wall and then shoved her back, her head hitting with a resounding thud.

She screamed as loud as she could. But it only lasted few seconds before his hand was clasped over her mouth. Muffling any noise. The grip so strong it made any attempts at breathing though her mouth non existent. Her nose still half stuffy from crying didn't make the process any easier as well.

So she did what came naturally. What her body was telling her to do. She thrashed, and kicked and she did everything she could to get away.

His eyes were manic and when his body pressed against hers it halted her movements, but she didn't stop.

"You brought this on yourself." And with that she stopped kicking, stopped thrashing because with that she felt numb. But not from the words. From the butt of a gun pressed into her chest.

"I have to do this." His voice was shaking but not with rage. Fear. It was fear. "I'm going to kill you and then I'm going to kill myself. I have to Callie." She shook her head against the wall, her eyes pleading, begging, to let her go. From a distant she thought she heard Stef's voice.

"I'm so sorry." But it wasn't Stef's voice that said those words, it was Liam's.

So this is going to be a mutlichapter fic. This is actually not where I planned to go but what can I say this sort of wrote itself. And can I just say I love to hate Liam. He's the perfect antagonist. I just love to write him.

Anyway, I'm not sure how long it's going to be, and I'm unsure of how much angst I'm going to write. I'm an angst junkie myself, but if you guys like this, just review and tell me if you want this to be an angst fest. Honestly the more angsty it is, the longer it will be because the more hurt/comfort it will turn out to be.

So is this even worth continuing? I never know with my own writing and I wrote this because I cannot wait until January. Its like my own personal fosters fix. LOL but anyway review!