AN: Hello again! Few people, asked me to write more of Callie living with Amy, their backstory, before "Waiting for someone like you" and "After the wait" happens. This is it! It's a prequel to both of these stories. The beginning.
A warning to the new readers - this will be heavily AU. This story will contain more OC characters than the Fosters personnel.
Some of you, who have read my work before, might recognize the characters that are in this chapter. The main focus will be on Callie and Amy, with supporting characters of Aaron (Amy's husband) and Markus (Amy's son). I will be honest - I don't know how often will I be able to write in Stef or the other Adams Foster characters. Of course, I will do my best to incorporate them as often as I can, but just...don't hold your breath too much, please.
If you don't like this AU or if you can't take not reading about Stef/Lena and the other kids every chapter - this story might not be for you. You don't have to read if you don't like.
As for the story - I will try to update as often as possible. I hope I can manage one chapter per week.
I hope you enjoy :)
Aaron POV
August 28, 2011
"I'm in the kitchen, Markus!" I call out to Markus, when I heard the front doors opening and closing. I knew by the footsteps, that it was him. Amy has lot softer footsteps. Also I didn't hear a car pull up, so that meant Amy was not home yet.
"Hey, dad!" he droops his gym bag by the entrance
I look over my shoulder to greet him, but I have to do a double take, because he looks different than he did in the morning. He has shaved his hair short. I don't think it was an inch long, maybe just half of inch long.
"What did you do with your hair?"
"It had grown out too long. It had to go! Besides it's new school year. I need to look fresh!" he says as he runs both of his hands over his short hair
"Your mom is going to miss your hair,"
"The hair will grown back, dad! You should use a haircut as well!" He smirks at me as he walks to the fridge to get out a bottle of water
"Whoa! Hey! Don't insult the hair!" I run my free hand through my hair before I concentrate back on the food on the pan "How was your practice?"
"Good. I think we have done a great job over the summer! I really like how we look. I can't wait for the new season to start!" Markus says opening the bottle
"Don't get too excited! Remember-"
"Yeah, yeah! School comes first! I'm a senior this year, which means I need to focus on my studies so I could get in a good university!" He recites and then takes a sip of the water "I can still be excited for the games though. I now you miss the annual Sunday and Wednesday football matches as much as I miss playing them!"
"Yeah I do!" A huge grin slowly appears on my lips "But education is important as well!" I point to him with the spatula, that I was holding in my right hand
"What are you making?" He asks walking up to my by the stove
"Something that was in mom's recipe book. Not really sure what will come out of it" I shrug a little and then mix the food on the pan so that it doesn't burn
"Well, it smells okay," Markus sniffs the air "And you haven't burned it yet!"
"Go set the table!" I playfully push him away from the stove. Still laughing Markus starts to set the table. He was in the middle of setting the table, when we both heard Amy pull up at the house.
"Mom's home!" I say the obvious
When the doors open, Markus calls out telling her we are in the kitchen. Usually she would call something back but today it was silence from her part. She appeared in the kitchen briefly.
From the moment we saw her, we both knew she has had a bad day at work. Amy gives me a quick peck to my lips, patted Markus shoulder and headed straight up to our bedroom with her bag over her shoulder.
Markus waited till she was out of earshot till he asked "What do you think happened?"
"I'm not sure. Probably nothing good," I reply as I continue to make supper
Markus places the tableware on the table "I hate it when she is like that!"
"It's the job Markus. She is allowed to have few bad days in a year,"
"I know," Markus nods back and looks to the hallway, where mom had walked off "I just don't like seeing mom like that!"
After dinner, which like I had expected, was quieter than usual, Amy went straight up to bed. Markus helped me do the dishes and then disappears up to his room. I lock the doors, turn off all the lights before I head upstairs. When I walk in our bedroom, I find Amy laying on her back, staring up to the ceiling. I make my way to the bed and lay down next to my wife on my side.
"Hey," I say quietly as I gently place my hand over hers
"Hey..." she replies barely above whisper, when she turns her head to look at me. A moment later she turns on her side to face me.
"Wanna tell me about your day?" I ask as I rub her upper hand soothingly
"I had to arrest a kid today" she says and then starts to chew her lower lip. Cases involving kids always affects Amy more than anything else. They always hit close to home, because I know Amy always pictures Markus in the kids place. That makes it everything so much harder. But I know, she can't help it.
"How old was the kid?"
"She was barely 14..."
"That's very young," I breath out
"Mm-hmm" She hums back as she turns on her back "I had to take her to Juvenile Detention. Her case worker was complete ass!"
"Case worker?"
"She is a foster kid, been in the foster care for the last 4 years," Amy says as she quickly runs her hand over her eyes "You should have seen the look in her eye, Aaron. Nothing, but hurt and sadness..."
"I'm sorry, honey" I whisper as I scoot closer to her. Amy turns to her side, so I could snuggle up to her back. I wrap my arm protectively around her and pull her a bit closer to my chest.
"There was something about her. I don't know what exactly, but I can't get her out of my mind!" Amy admits after a little while "I think she needs us, Aaron! I think we can help her..."
Mid October, 2011
I head upstairs to Markus room. Even before I have reached the top of the stairs, I hear him talking to his girlfriend, Beth, over Skype. I knock on the door frame to announce myself, before I walk inside.
Markus looks over his shoulder to me. The chatter with Beth stopped the moment I knocked "Hey, dad...what's up?"
I walk up to his desk and look down to the laptop over Markus shoulder "Hi, Beth!" I wave at the camera
Beth was Markus girlfriend for the last year. She was also his first and for now the only girlfriend he has had. Beth transferred to Markus school last year. The way they met is not the most nicest story, though. Honestly it's quite horrible actually. Markus accidentally slammed ball right in Beth's face in a gym class, when they were playing volleyball with mixed teams. Her nose was bleeding and he bent her glasses. It was a bloody mess. Somehow he managed to turn that into a friendship and later into a romantic relationship.
Beth was a medium height girl. She has dark brown, slightly curly hair and glasses. Honestly, Beth reminded me of Amy, when she was younger. Beth was the sort of girl you would want your son to be dating - smart, polite, friendly, good sense of humor. Amy and I both liked her.
"Hi, Mr. Scott!" Beth smiles back at me as she waves at me as well
"I really need to barrow my son for few minutes. You will have him back unharmed, I promise!"
"Sure thing!" Beth replies "I will call you back later. Love you," she tells Markus
"Love you too, bye!" Markus say back before they end the Skype call
I take a step back to allow Markus to push back away from the desk to get up. When he stands up, I can't help, but to keep the huge grin off my face.
"Ugh..." Markus groans when he sees the huge grin "What is it, dad?"
"So, you and Beth are at the – Love you – phase already?" I smirk at him. I was happy about their relationship. Markus was happy, that's all I ever want for my boy.
"Yeah...we are" He scratches the back of his neck nervously
"Since when?" I ask curiously
Markus replies recurrently after a little while "Since last week," He then changes the subject before I have manged to ask anything else "What did you need, dad?"
"Oh, um..." I point over my shoulder "Mom and I need to talk to you. Can you come downstairs, please?"
"The dent was there when I walked out of school! I swear, I have no idea how it happened!"
"What dent?" I stop in my tracks and turn back to him
"Crap" he says to himself as he looks down and shakes his head
"Well," I place my hand on his shoulder "You can tell us all about this dent after we talk to you!" Always a happy moment when you see a doomed look in your kids eyes, because they know they are in trouble
Markus and I both walk down the stairs to the living room. Amy was sitting on the couch waiting for us. She sat up a bit straighter when we walked in and rubbed her hands to her thigh. I took a seat next to Amy. Markus, watching us carefully, took a seat at the armchair.
"What's going on?" Markus asks clearly feeling the tension in the air. Amy and I share a look. I place my hand over hers.
"Mom and I...we, uh...we want to foster again"
"Oh.." Markus relaxed visibly "But didn't your foster license end?"
"It did," Amy answers this question "We can always renew it!"
"We wanted to know if you are okay with it. With us bringing another kid in," I look to Amy by my side before I glance to my son
"You know I'm okay!" Markus smiled back "It's weird having the room empty!" Amy next to me breathed out relieved, she was now smiling.
Markus eyes his mom closely for a moment "Are we talking about...a specific kid?" Amy next to me chuckled at her sons words. He knew us too well. He could read us just like we could read him. Amy nodded her head back.
"When is the kid coming?" He asks knowing the process all too well
"If everything goes well, in a month and she will be released from Juvie," Amy tells him, taking him by surprise
Markus mouth drops open "Juvie?"
"Yes," I nod back "Your mom met the girl few weeks back while working,"
"What was she arrested for!?" Markus leaned a bit forward, interested in the subject
"Damaging property and assault" Amy tells him more honesty than I liked
"Whoa!" He leans back and blurs out shocked "Are you serious?!"
"If mom or I thought she could be danger-" I start to explain, but Markus interjects before I can even finish my thought
"Wait, wait, wait!" Markus waves his hand in the air " You said mom met her while she was working-" Markus looks from me to his mom as he connects the dots in his mind "Did you arrest her?"
"I did," Amy admits as she glances to me. I rub her hand gently. I knew Amy felt a little bad for what she had to do, but that was her job.
He still looked utterly shocked "Are you sure she will want to live with us? No offense mom, but if someone arrested me I don't think I would want to spend another day with the person, let alone live with them! I would be very angry and pissed off. Mostly just pissed off!"
"Well, she can be pissed off all she wants, but we are the ones standing between her and a group home!" Amy explains
"Tough luck" Markus says leaning back in the chair.
Now that I felt that our initial conversation was over, I changed it to the one, that Markus will definitely not like "So, about that dent on moms car!"
"What dent?" Amy looks to me surprised. I keep my eyes on Markus. Amy turns to Markus and gives him a stern look "What dent?"
"It's barely visible!" Markus reasons back with a smirk on his lips
