Encounter

Down on the streets, a young teenager sat near a bench munching on some crappy food she had stolen from the 7/11 just a few blocks away. Sure, it tasted bad, but it was better than nothing. Sitting cross-legged, her mind flashed back to her brother.

Jude Jacob.

God, she missed him so much. But he had recently gotten adopted by their last foster parents, though without Callie. The foster parents had fallen in love with Jude, but not Callie. They had told her to go and she had.

A couple steps ahead the brunette noticed two women coming out of the Cinemark. Looking at the purses they were carrying, she pounced into action.

Slowly, Callie unzipped the first woman's bag (a blond) and retrieved a brown wallet. But then she saw the police badge and thought otherwise. Placing it back inside, she moved to the other woman's purse (a brunette) and stole her wallet instead.

But as she pulled her arm back, Callie's arm bumped into the woman's arm. She turned around and gasped in shock as she saw Callie running away with her money.

"Stef, Stef! She has my wallet, look!" The African American woman motioned to the teenager speeding ahead. The blond pursed her lips and ran after the girl, the other woman close behind.

Callie ended her run when she reached the bus stop. '

And that's when Stef caught her.

"Give it." The blond wiggled her fingers, "Give me the wallet."

Not wanting to get herself into any more trouble she handed Stef the wallet, who flipped through it to check if anything was missing.

"Looks good, Lena. She didn't take anything." Stef announced, handing the woman back her wallet.

"I-I-I'm sorry." Callie quickly apologized.

"I bet you are. Why don't you come down to the station and tell me how sorry you are?" The blonde asked.

"Please, no. Please...I-I can't. I can't go there, you-you're going to send me back to juvie, aren't you?" The brunette asked, choking on her own tears.

"What? You've been to juvie before?" Lena asked.

"I-If I go, my life will be over. P-please. I just wanted the money for a b-b-bus ride. I wasn't going to steal anything else!"

"A bus pass? Why? Where were you planning to go?"

"I-I-I-"

Watching the girl fall apart like this made Stef's heart melt. Slowly, she placed an arm around Callie's shoulder, surprising both her and Lena.

"Hey, why don't we take you out to lunch? You sure look like you could use a meal."

"Stef!" Lena said, shocked.

"I-I-I-" Callie stuttered again, "I…" She followed Stef to a cafe just ahead, keeping silent the whole time. She didn't even talk when they sat down.

"Um, in case we haven't been introduced yet my name's Stef and this is my domestic partner Lena."

Callie nodded.

"Would you mind telling us your name?"

"Callie Jacob." She whispered, re-tying her ponytail.

"I think I'm going to get some coffee, what about you, love?" Stef asked her partner.

"Maybe some tea. What can we get for you, Callie?"

Shutting her menu, the brunette stared into the eyes of the two women, "Why are you doing this?"

"Wh-What do you mean?" Lena asked.

"Are you just taking pity on the poor homeless girl?" She spat, "'Cause I'm not anyone's charity case."

"You're homeless?"

"What did you think I was?"

"I... I guess we thought you were just an ordinary pickpocket."

"Yeah, well I'm not, so you could stop this whole charade." Grabbing her bag, she got up and scooted her chair back.

But Stef stopped her, "Woah, woah, woah." She grabbed a reluctant Callie's arm, "We're not doing this out of pity."

Callie raised an eyebrow.

"Look, why don't you come home with us? You could take a shower, get a good meal in you for dinner."

The brunette bit her lip, "I can't. There's somewhere I have to be. A-and if I don't go, they won't let me see him…"

"Who, your boyfriend?" Stef asked.

"My brother." She admitted, "I need to see him."

She clasped a hand over her mouth. Why did she just admit that? To a couple of strangers, no less.

"Your brother?" Lena asked, wrapping an arm around the sad girl, "Where is he?"

"At the edge of town. We've been separated for too long and his adoptive parents won't let him see me. So, if I go and I get caught…" She sniffled and wiped her eye, "I can't do this anymore. I'll find a way there myself."

"No, no, no." Stef reassured, "We'll take you to see him. Come on, let's head to my car. You just tell us how to get there."

Callie nodded and followed the two women out of the cafe without buying anything. Reaching the car, the brunette climbed in the back and buckled herself in.

"I don't know if this is appropriate to ask, but you said you weren't allowed to see him. Why is that? Is there some sort of restraining order between you two?"

"No, no." She said, tucking a hair behind her ear, "The husband and wife don't exactly trust me. They found all these complaints my foster father made against me, found out why I got into juvie. So... they thought I was a danger to Jude. So, they adopted him without me."

Both women stared at the girl in complete shock.

"We tried to protest, but they said it was non-negotiable. I could tell as soon as they said I had to go Jude wanted to leave and he said so. But they said that it was final. He got adopted and I wasn't allowed to see him, or else."

"These people threatened you?" Lena asked in complete shock.

"Um, could you take a left here? The house should be just around the corner." Pointing to a little blue house, Stef nodded.

Callie unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed out of the car but was surprised when Lena and Stef followed her out.

Ringing the doorbell, the brunette bounced nervously on the balls of her feet. The door opened, and a tall woman stared down at Callie.

"What are you doing here? I told you to stay away from our home!"

"I just want to talk to Jude, just for a second." She protested.

"No. He's better off without you." She spat.

"Excuse me?" Lena said.

"Callie?" A little voice said from the inside.

"Jude!"

"Let her in." Stef ordered.

"No."

"This is madness. You have no right to keep these two apart."

"She's a bad influence. She could hurt him! Did she tell you she went to Juvie?"

"Yeah, for destruction of property not for hurting anyone!" Callie protested.

"I don't care."

"Let. Her. In." Stef ordered, "I'm not going to ask you again."

Rolling her eyes, the woman opened the door. Callie instantly ran over to her twelve year old brother and wrapped him into a tight hug.

"Honey, are you okay?" She asked quietly, kissing him on the forehead.

He nodded into her chest and the two held the hug for a while until they were forced apart.

The woman shoved the brunette out the door.

"Baby, baby don't worry I'll come back!" She shouted before the door was slammed in her face.

Bursting into tears, Callie followed the two woman into the car.