Author's Note: This was an idea I had for a while (ever since this episode aired). I gave it to someone to use, but they never followed through with writing it so I'm taking it back…
Chapter 1: Forget
She brought a great deal of love and joy into our family and we feel she deserves a second chance. However… we are not prepared to bring her back into our home at this time.
Stef's last words in the courtroom kept repeating in Callie's mind over and over again.
We are not prepared to bring her back into our home…
Not prepared to bring her back… at this time…
Callie tried her best to shake them away, but it was as if she were actually hearing them being spoken and she was back in front of the judge.
The words went on and on, like the incessant buzzing of a fly that wouldn't leave you no matter how hard you waved your hand to push it towards another direction.
But the words were louder than that.
Much louder.
Like the screeching of nails against a chalkboard by someone who was trying to torment her.
But it was only Callie in the cell now...
We are not prepared–
Callie lifted her feet off of the ground and put her knees to her chest, before she laid her arms on top of them and pressed her palms against her ears, hoping that the pressure would drown out Stef's voice.
Focus on the silence, she attempted to train herself. She needed to forget that awful memory of what happened less than five minutes ago.
She thought it'd help to keep her gaze off of both women when she was forced to turn around and leave the room. She didn't want to see the disappointed or disgusted looks on their faces that she had imagined were there. She hadn't wanted to actually put a face in the memory.
Despite all of those things, Callie could've sworn she heard Stef's voice call out her name softly before she exited the courtroom. But then again, it was probably just her mind playing tricks on her.
They did their part. They did what they had to for their family.
Don't cry, she kept telling herself.
Even now in the cell, she was trying to fight back her own tears. Her emotions were overwhelming her, and it was getting harder and harder to keep herself contained.
It was one thing to leave on her own but to have the one person, who made her believe she wasn't worthless, suddenly tell her that she was…That pained her even more than she would've liked.
How stupid was she to ever believe Stef?
…we are not prepared to bring her back into our home at this time
Why did they have to come? Callie thought to herself. Why couldn't they just listen to her when she told her parole officer that she didn't want anyone to be there?
Why did they have to tell her to her face that they were giving up on her?
Don't cry, she whispered to herself.
She couldn't think about it.
She couldn't let a tear fall down her cheek because that would just prove she was affected. She had to be stronger than that, even if it was just a façade.
If she could convince herself that she was fine than she really was, right?
What would caring do anyway?
Wasn't that what led her there to begin with?
She let out a deep breath and shook her head slightly.
Come on. You can do this, she thought to herself.
You're fine.
This is nothing.
They are nothing.
If she kept herself trained on those lies, they'd have to turn into truths.
But forgetting was the first step…