AU

A short fic to tell of a different way Callie could have come to live with the Foster Adams. There are no other kids in this story, just Lena, Stef, and Callie.

Mentions of child abuse.

Lena's POV

"An emergency placement?" Stef asked as she sat down on the couch right as I hung up the phone.

"He's trying to keep her out of a group home." I tried to explain as Stef kicked her feet up and onto my lap.

"Did he mention how long?" She asked with her arm over her eyes.

"He doesn't know, love. It doesn't look good for the parents to get their rights back." I sighed. We loved fostering but we had hoped that we would be child free. Our last foster daughter had been reunited with her father this morning in the happiest of endings. Quiet settled over the room as we sat, enjoying it for awhile before we heard the doorbell ring.

I got up, Stef following shortly behind. We paused for a minute and then when Stef opened the door, we were met with the sight of Bill, the social worker who had been around most of our time in foster care. Next to him stood a young girl who couldn't be any older than 12. He had the biggest brown eyes and long wavy brown hair.

"Stef, Lena, twice in one day." He noted and Stef laughed lightly.

"Come on in." I offered as we moved out of the way of the door.

"I know Julie just left this morning," Bill started to apologize. "I wouldn't have asked if I could avoid it." I held up my hand, shaking my head.

"It's alright, Bill. The joys of the trade?" I joked lightly and he smiled slightly.

Bill instructed the girl to sit in the living room before he followed Stef and I into the kitchen to talk.

"So what are we looking at?"Stef asked softly

"There was a domestic call at the residence. He parents are being booked into jail as we speak, facing a long list of charges including child abuse and neglect." He handed us a manila folder that looked like it could be empty.

"So she's new to the system?" Stef asked, looking up from the folder that held only a few pieces of paper.

"Brand new," Bill nodded. "I hate to drop her and run but I've got another case calling me." He said, looking down at his ringing phone. We walked him to the front door.

"Thanks Bill." I called as he made his way down the walkway and back to his car. Once his car was out of sight, Stef pulled me into a hug and rested her head on my shoulder.

"Let's go meet our new girl, huh?" Stef smiled and I followed her back inside.

"Hey sweets," Stef greeted as we came to sit down on the couch. The girl made no attempt to speak. She just watched the two of us warily. "So Bill says that you've never been in a foster home before." Stef was trying to engage the young girl but it wasn't working.

"What's your name, honey?" I asked, trying a different approach. We knew her name already, but maybe if we asked her simple questions, she would respond and we could coax her out of her shell.

"Callie." She whispered just loud enough for us to hear.

"That's a pretty name." I smiled and she shrugged.

"What's going to happen to my parents?" Callie asked timidly.

"We're not really sure yet but it doesn't look like things are going to work in their favor." Stef explained truthfully and Callie nodded.

"Can I go to sleep?" She asked quietly before she yawned. It was late and she probably would have been in bed over an hour ago if the circumstances were different.

Callie's POV

Mom was mad again, I knew because she was towering over me as I sat, curled up in the rocking chair. She was yelling but I didn't know what she why. Sometimes, a lot of the time, she gets angry with things and takes it out on me. I could feel myself start to hyperventilate. It always happened when she did this. She knew I was claustrophobic and she used it to her advantage.

"Please," I gasped. It was getting harder to breath and I didn't want to pass out. I put my hands up, hoping to put some space but she was closer than I though and my hand connected with her nose. It wasn't hard but I knew I had made a mistake. She started punching me. I managed to turn so she was only making contact with the top of my right arm but it still hurt, she was strong. I didn't think she was ever going to stop.

"Anne Marie!" I heard my dad finally speak up from his spot on the couch. She finally stopped. "What are people going to think when they see that?" He asked, referencing to the bruise that was starting to form in the place she was hitting.

Why did he even care? He's done worse. Well, not him, but his friends that he brings over for the sole purpose of hurting me.

But they did always make sure that I never had bruises that would show. 'Visual bruises only make things more difficult' he always said. They normally only just went for my torso or the back of my head. This was almost a welcomed change.

My mom finally stepped back and I took my chance and ran to my room just across the hall. They both started yelling and I pulled out my really old mp3 player that I got for Christmas from a friends mom three years ago. I put on my headphones and blasted the music to drown out their loud voices.

I wish I had just told my friend mom what happens at home. She always asked questions but I never told the truth. I wanted her to help me, but I was afraid. I wish they knew.

It was able to drown out their screaming until I heard a loud commotion. I turned off the music and hid the player again so that they couldn't take it from me if they found it.

I carefully took tiptoed to mt bedroom door and opened it when it got quiet again. I was not expecting to see my parents in handcuffs or three police officers in the living room but that's exactly what I was looking at.

I pulled the blanket over my head and wondered how many kids had slept in this bed. I didn't know how foster care worked but now that I was in my first foster home I couldn't help but be curious.

These people seemed okay. I'd never seen two girls in a relationship and it was kind of cool to think about. At least there wouldn't be any guys in the house, that was a bonus.

I rolled over and closed my eyes, willing myself to sleep, hoping that tomorrow wouldn't be as draining as today was.

Stef's POV

I rolled over for what seemed like the hundredth time in the last hour. I kept replaying the events of tonight in my head. Lena and I had fostered a few kids over the past year and a half but our home had never been their first. This girl, Callie, she was pulling on my heartstrings even though she was quiet and spoke only a few times

He bruise did not go unnoticed, courtesy of her worn out short sleeve shirt. How an adult could hit a child, let alone a parent, hit their own child, was something I would never understand.

After rolling over again I finally just got out of bed. I exited the master bedroom and went over to the door to the room where Callie was sleeping. I leaned against the doorway as I peered in, seeing the young girl sleep.

"What's wrong?" I heard come from behind me. Lena must have woken up when I got out of the bed. I shrugged and Lena wrapped her arms around me from behind. "What are you thinking about?"

"She's never been in the system." I spoke quietly as to not wake the sleeping child. Lena hummed slightly and I took that as her response. "What if we could keep her out of it, the system."

"She wouldn't be here if she wasn't in the system, love. It's a little late for that." I laughed lightly and leaned back into her.

"I mean, what if we can be her... be the deciding factor in keeping her from bouncing around." I explained my thought as my eyes stayed trained on the sleeping girl.

"You heard what Bill told me, honey. He doesn't think that her parents are going to be getting their rights back any time soon, if at all." Lena leaned forward to close the bedroom door halfway before turning me in her arms so she could see my face.

"I know." I had been thinking about this for several hours. Tossing around different ideas in my head, of many different outcomes. A few which included Callie eventually being reunited with her parents, happily, just like Julie had with her father. However, most included Callie staying with us long term, if not permanently.

"Are you sure?" Lena asked with a raised eyebrow, as if she had read my thoughts.

"Lena, if we can be the reason that little girl avoids the terrifying reality that many do in foster care. The reason she doesn't move around and restart her life several times, I'd like to do it. If we can make a difference in her life, shouldn't be try? Isn't that why we decided to start fostering in the first place?" I saw my wife smile before she leaned over to kiss me.

"You're right." She agreed with a slight nod.

"I'm sorry, I'm what?" I asked with wide eyes. "Can I get that in writing and signed?" Lena laughed and I shushed her while pushing her towards our bedroom. I really didn't want to wake Callie on her first of what would hopefully be many nights in our home.

A/N So this is an idea I'd been mulling over for over a week and since I'm struggling with the next chapter for The Truth Comes Out I figured I'd put this out to hopefully keep people tided over in my delay. There are a few ideas I want to explore so this might have two to four chapters. I'm not sure yet.

Let me know if you like it or if you would want to read more.