Summary: Callie knew she didn't need a family. For her whole life, she's been just fine taking care of herself and fighting her own demons. After her adoption is denied for the second time, she sees the world's true colors and feelings of her. So, she makes the decision to run away once again leaving the family confused and devastated. But what turns out as a simple runaway case turns into much more when they discover she was kidnapped. They race against time to find her and when they do, Callie is no longer the Callie they used to know. She is now broken, vulnerable, and lost. Can the family bring her up from her dark place? Or have they lost the Callie they used to know for good?

Disclaimer: I do not own The Fosters.

2021

Callie watched as the sun set, the gloomy sky turning orange and red. She sat with her right leg perched up, with the other lying flat resting on the couch, and her arm over her knee.

This was the same sunset she had watched all throughout her life, but every time felt like the first. It amazed her that when things could be so bad, the sun was always there to cheer you up. It told you that things would be okay and even if things weren't going right for you, the sun was still there. And that even if today was bad, tomorrow can be better.

Callie remembered the days when she felt as though she were her own army. All she had was herself and even when she had her brother, she was still fighting wars on her own.

She sighed as she watched the sun settle and be replaced by the glowing of the moon. She made her way off the couch, knowing she needed to make sure her daughter was getting herself ready for bed.

"One more story?" the seven-year-old asked. They had just read the last line of Cinderella and it was nearing nine-thirty. Callie brushed her daughter's hair back and grabbed her glasses case off the nightstand.

"I'm sorry, baby. But you have school in the morning." Callie opened the case and held it out and the child took her glasses off and placed them in.

"Tomorrow, can we do two stories then?"

"We'll have to see, Emily. I'll tell you what, on Saturday, we'll read stories all day," Callie said and smiled.

Emily's face lit up, "Like old times?"

"Like old times," Callie repeated as she bent over to give her a kiss on the forehead and stood from the bed. Emily scooted down, burying herself in the comforter as Callie tucked her in. "Comfy?" Emily smiled wide, showing her two missing front teeth and Callie smiled. She always found it cute. She dreaded the day when those two teeth would grow in.

"Yep."

Callie turned the lamp off and reached over to turn the nightlight on. The room lit up with moons and stars dancing along the walls. Emily watched in amazement and fascination. Callie watched as her eyes began to droop. She bent down and kissed her temple, brushing streaks of brunette hair out of her face. "Good night, Em," she whispered. "I love you."

Callie left the room and shut the door to a crack. She stood for a moment, listening to the even breaths of her daughter as she fell into a deep sleep. She smiled softly to herself. She envied the innocence and the sense of wonder Emily carried. Callie never wanted her to lose that. She wanted the best for her and never wanted for her to feel she had to grow up too fast. Like she had to.

She turned and went down the hallway to her bedroom. They had one of the smallest apartments in the building, but Callie felt it was just the perfect size for the two of them. She sat down on her bed and kicked her legs in front of her as she grabbed her copy of the most recent book she was reading. She had always enjoyed reading as a child and loved it when she could find the time to get herself lost in one of those romance novels. It wasn't long until she found herself in a deep sleep as well.

Callie blinked her eyes opened to a new day. She groaned as she turned her alarm off and rolled over. She stretched and yawned as she sat up. She got out of bed and got herself ready for another day of work.

As she entered the kitchen to prepare breakfast for her and Emily, she found her sitting at the table eating cereal. "Oh, Em. You know you shouldn't be getting that on your own. You could get hurt." Callie remembered the cereal was in the cabinet above the fridge and cringed at the image of Emily getting it on her own.

"I'm sorry, mommy," Emily apologized, setting her spoon in the bowl. Callie could tell that she was wanting to cry so she quickly walked over and pulled her into a hug.

"It's okay, baby, but next time, come and get me. Okay?" Callie was bent down at her level and held her eyes with her, wanting Emily to understand.

"Okay, mommy," Emily said and soon went back to her cereal.

Callie poured herself some coffee and joined Emily at the table. It was silent with the only noise being from Emily's spoon hitting the bowl and Callie drinking her from her mug until she sat it down and looked at Emily. "You know, I was talking to grandmas and they said they were going to take you to the zoo this Sunday," Callie said thinking back to the conversation with Stef and Lena the day before.

Emily looked at her with the biggest smile on her face. "Really? I get to see the lions?"

Callie nodded smiling widely as well. She looked at the time on her phone and stood up. "The bus is going to be here soon, so we need to leave in a moment."

They walked down the sidewalk and met up with the other parents and children. Callie watched as Emily let go of her hand and went over to her two best friends. It wasn't long before the bus arrived. Before getting on, Emily ran back over and gave Callie a hug, "Bye, mommy. I love you."

Callie smiled down at her, "Bye, Em. Have a great day at school. I love you too." She watched as Emily got on the bus and wondered how the little girl had grown so much in her seven years of life. How she had gotten through life with this little girl's presence and love thrown her way...