A/N: I truly appreciate the response this has received so far. You guys rock. I'm loving this different take on some characters we know and love.

This is not going to be a 'paint by the numbers, Stef and Lena foster a baby and live happily ever after' story. There will be drama, twists, and turns. No smooth sailing, here. Just enjoy the journey and let me know if you are.


Chapter 2

Stef placed her patient chart in the discharge rack, swinging around to talk to Beverly, one of the senior nurses in the department.

"My last kid had six coin batteries up his nose."

"Oh, for the love of Peds," Bev joked, which made Stef laugh.

"It is quittin' time. Say, has there been any word on that abandoned baby? She was taken up to the ward a few hours ago."

"Not that I know of, the poor thing. Such a terrible act, to leave a baby alone like that. At least the neighbors reported it this time. It could have been worse."

"True," Stef agreed. "Well, I'm gonna get outta here. See you tomorrow."

"Good night."

Stef hung up her lab coat and got her jacket and bag from her locker before leaving the lounge and going to the elevator. She took it up to the third floor and entered the section of the pediatrics ward that housed the children that were too old for the NICU, but too young to be supervised on the main floor.

"Hey, Kit," Stef greeted her friend who was just returning from tending to a child.

"I was wondering when you'd be up here," she smirked.

"Well, I had a shift to finish."

"Come to see Callie, I assume?"

Stef was known for following up with her patients, especially ones in the circumstances that this baby was in.

"Callie? That's her name?"

Kit nodded. "The cops found her birth certificate in the apartment and faxed it over. She'll be nine months old on the eleventh."

Stef went to Callie's crib, with Kit following. She found the little girl much more animated than when she first arrived. She was moving more and making sounds, finding her voice.

"Hey, there, Callie. Such a pretty name for a pretty girl." Stef reached down to rub her little tummy, who kicked a bit in response. "You doin' better? Yeah?"

"How is she?" Stef asked Kit.

"Her fever's down and she's resting more comfortably."

"I'll bet. So, her mom split?"

"Looks like it. Colleen Jacob. No father listed."

"Such a shame," Stef mused, admiring Callie's dark hair and eyes. "Has DCFS checked in yet?"

"Someone's on the way."

"There must not be any other family."

"Probably not."

Callie started to fuss and cough, clearly uncomfortable. Then, she let out a sneeze, and another.

"Goodness. Bless you, Callie."

Her fussing continued and she started to cry.

"What's th' matter, huh? You don't feel very good, do you?"

Stef let down one of the rails and picked her up, being careful of the baby's oxygen and IV tubing as she settled her on her shoulder.

"Yes. Yes, I know. Being sick's no fun," the blonde said, attempting to soothe Callie. "Shhh, shhh. It's alright. I bet you're gonna feel much better tomorrow."

Callie started to quiet down after another minute. Her shallow, congested breathing hurt Stef's heart. Sick kids affected her more than other patients, which was why she decided to specialize in treating them.

"You've got the touch, Stef."

"Ha," she grinned. "Lena calls me 'The Baby Whisperer.'"

"As she should. How is she, by the way?"

"She's fabulous." Stef's phone began to vibrate in her pocket. "That's probably her, now."

Stef lay Callie back in her crib and locked the rail back into place. "Be good for Nurse Kit. Good night," she told her friend before exiting the ward and returning her wife's call.

"Hey, babe."

"Hi, love."

"Are you on your way home? Dinner's almost done. Italian-marinated pork chops."

"That sounds great. I am walking to the parking garage as we speak. I wanted to check in with a patient before I left for the night."

"I would expect nothing less," Lena said with fondness.

"I'll be home soon."

Stef hung up and drove to her Mission Bay home. She shut the front door behind her and went to the kitchen. Lena was at the stove.

"It smells amazing in here." She walked up behind her wife and kissed her cheek.

"And you smell like 'hospital,'" Lena groaned slightly.

"That's where I work, you know."

"Yes, I'm aware."

Stef helped her set the food on the table and they helped themselves to it, having a few bites before recapping their days.

"How were your kiddos today? Not another biting incident, I hope?" Stef wondered, chewing her salad.

"No, thankfully. If there was, I'd send Ryan to you to have him tested for rabies."

Stef laughed.

"I had Jamie come up to the board to do some addition, what we've been working on, and she was correct on the first try. She was so proud of herself. She's such a sweet girl."

"Speaking of sweet girls, I met one today."

Lena drank some water. She was more than used to hearing about her wife's patients. They both were the type to bring their work home with them. "Oh, yeah?"

"A baby was brought in, quite unresponsive, too sick to even cry. She was abandoned in an apartment on 54th and Chestnut, I believe."

"That's a rough part of town."

Stef nodded. "She has pneumonia, but she's up in Peds, doing better."

"Is that who you checked in on after your shift?"

"I just wanted to make sure she was okay. DCFS hadn't seen her yet."

Lena understood; her wife was a very caring and thorough doctor and she strived to be the same to Anchor Beach Community Charter School's second graders.

"Well, I'm glad she's gonna be alright."

"She should be."

After that, the subject changed and their evening went on as usual, but Stef went to sleep with little Callie still on her mind.


A/N: And now, we've met Lena, a teacher. Like I said before, this just came to me and this is all I have so far. But I am outlining and making notes and making progress. The chapters will start getting longer; this is just laying the foundation of the story. Leave me your thoughts.