AN- Wow, the amount of feedback I got back from this fic was amazing. Keep R and R please. Chemo was pushed back a few days so I'm just working on my fics when my kids aren't here to visit. Hospitals are very boring. I sleep and write. I started this fic because while I love The Fosters for bringing light to the foster care system, it doesn't talk much about what happens when I child comes into care or problems that arise. And Miss Gabby, since I can't message you. You will get your next chapter of Lena Finds Out soon lol. I'm kind of at a rough point with the story right now.
15 minutes later both Brittany and John had left, Brittany to the office to start on the mountain of paperwork that would come from the kids going into care and John to retur the cruiser and head home. Callie was silent sitting next to Stef and eyeing her wearily while Jude was nodding off, having slipping onto Stef's lap when the two other adults had left. Stef sighed in relief when she saw the van pull into the apartment complex. She watched as Lena parked and stepped out of the car cautiously, looking around. Hoping the small sleeping boy would soften her wife, Stef stood up with him and walked over to her. As expected, Stef watched Lena's features change from annoyance to a sad interest as she walked over to her.
"Who is this?" Lena asked as she leaned down to take a peak at the little boy against Stef's shoulder.
"This is Jude, and this beauty is Callie," Stef said as Callie slowly made her way over to them.
"And what may I ask are you doing with them?" Lena asked in a whisper as Callie looked up at her with big brown eyes.
"Callie, Honey, if you'll go sit down for a couple minutes, me and Lena are going to try and figure out a way so you don't have to ride the car, do you mind sitting in my car? I promise we won't drive anywhere," Callie shook her head hard,
"Don't make me go in there." Stef closed her eyes for a minute before opening the back of the car and grabbing Mariana's lap blanket she had for rides.
"Here, Sweets, at least cover up with that, I don't want you getting sick," she said with a reassuring smile as Callie wrapped the blanket around her shoulders as she sat on the curb, resting her head again the bag of clothes. Stef watched her before turning back to Lena,
"We got a call 2 1/2 hours ago. Their parents were in a car accident, her mother died, along with two other people in another car, the father was arrested for drunk drivng."
"So you agreed to foster them?" Lena asked as her eyes widened, "Remember what happened with Abby, Stef? We can't keep taking more kids. It hurts everyone. And how are we supposed to take care of five kids, is he even old enough to be in school?"
"It's only for a few days, at most a couple weeks, until they find a foster home for them both to go in. Lena, they were going to send Callie to a kids' home."
"A couple weeks," Lena said with a sigh, kissing Stef's cheek.
"We have one more problem..." Stef said carefully as she looked over to Callie, "She's afraid to get in a car and starts freaking out when someone even mentions it."
"How are we supposed to take care of a child who is afraid to get in a car?" Lena asked exasperated.
"Brittany told her her mom was died while riding a car just two hours ago. Ofcourse she's afraid. Hopefully with time we can get her more comfortable."
"What about tonight though Stefanie? How are we supposed to get her home?"
"I'm still working that out," Stef said with a sigh, "I'm thinking she might take the bus. The next one comes in 15 minutes," she said as she shifted Jude in her arms.
"And I'm here for?" Lena asked carefully.
"To help me? Maybe grab their stuff?"
"Ok, Come on, you want me to take the little man there?" Lena asked as she carefully took Jude from Stef smiling when he stirred.
"Who're you?" he asked as he wrapped an arm around Lena's neck, his other hand going to her curls, playing with the end of one sleepily as he laid his head against her shoulder.
"My name's Lena, I'm Stef's wife," she said as they walked over, "Just go back to sleep, ok? We'll be at our house soon." Jude nodded as she walked over to Stef who was sitting by Callie.
"-So let's think about this, even if a car hit the bus, the bus is so big we wouldn't get hurt, right?" Stef said as she had an arm wrapped an arm around Callie as she looked up at Stef.
"I guess," Callie said carefully.
"So me and you are going to take the bus to my house, ok?"
"And Jude and Lena?"
"No, Sweets, Jude and Lena are taking the car and your guys' stuff to the house."
"But you can't take away Jude! He's going to get hurt!" Callie cried loudly.
"Ok, ok, we'll take Jude with us, ok?" Stef said as she held Callie against her. Standing up she took the bags and threw them in the back of the van before taking Jude from Lena, "We should be home in 20 minutes," she said as she gave Lena a quick kiss, "can you make a couple sandwiches, they were saying they were hungry."
"Well, I do have chicken already cooked," Lena said with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm so sorry," Stef said again, "Maybe later, once their asleep we can get right to the other stuff?" she asked with a wink.
"I'll see you soon," Lena smiled as she got into the drivers seat and pulled out. Turning her belt so her gun was out of the way, Stef settled Jude on her hip as they walked the half block to the bus stop. On the bus Callie sat beside her as she rubbed her finger across the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. Stef wrapped her arm around her as she rested her head back. It had been 12 hours since she started her shift. "YOu tired, Sweets?" she asked Callie softly who shook her head.
"Not sleepy, I want Mommy," she said as she wrapped her other arm around herself.
"It's been a long time since you ate dinner, hu?" Stef asked, "Lena said she had chicken made.
Callie nodded, "Mommy and Daddy went out so I made me and Jude cereal. Daddy forgot to buy milk so we ate it out of the box."
Stef took a deep breath. This wasn't the first time they had kids that weren't fed properly, but thankfully they at least had food, their last foster daughter, Abby, was starved. "No cereal dinners while you're with me," she smiled, pulling the string to signal their stop as they walked the four blocks home.
"How many families live here?" Callie said with wide eyes as she looked at the expansion of the house.
"Just us," Stef said as she unlocked the front door and lead her inside, "Plus we have 3 kids. You'll meet them tomorrow night. Brandon is 9, and Jesus and Mariana are 7," as they went into the kitchen where Lena had four plates of food on the table.
"We can eat and then we can all go to bed,"Stef said as Lena helped Callie onto a chair. As Stef gently shook Jude awake. Stef kept the half awake boy on her lap as he ate sleepily. Stef put Callie to bed in Mariana's room as Lena helped Jude change and put them in bed in Jesus' room.
It was two in the morning before Stef and Lena fell into bed, "I didn't know what to do. You know how those children homes can be."
"I'm starting to feel like like we're a children's home," Lena muttered as she snuggled into Stef's side.
"You know what I mean. They sleep in corridors, they're like orphanages," Stef said as she ran her fingers through Lena's hair and kissed her forehead.
"You know, as much as I would love to do other stuff, I am exhausted," Lena said as she closed her eyes.
"As much as I hate to agree with you, sleep sounds like the best thing at the moment," Stef said as she pulled Lena closer, "I really am sorry about tonight. I know we really needed a night together."
"If you left those kids you wouldn't be the woman I fell in love with," Lena said as she kissed Stef's chest before going to sleep.
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Stef felt like she had just when she heard the screaming. Instinctively she jumped up and made her way to the noise. Opening the door Stef found Callie on the floor next to the bed crying curled into herself, "Where's Mommy? I want my Mommy, Where am I?" She asked as she scooted away from Stef, "Where's my brother?"
Stef sat on the floor and scooted slowly towards her, "Did you have a bad dream, Love?" she asked, "Do you remember what happened last night? That you and Jude came to live with me and Lena?" Callie nodded as she scooted a little towards Stef and crawled in them when Stef held her arms out, Stef stroked her hair as she rocked Callie softly. "Why don't we put you back to bed?" she asked softly, sighing when Callie shook her head harshly. Stef knew she should put her in Mariana's bed but she was just too tired, "Ok, let's go lay down with Lena," she smiled as she helped the girl up and lead her by the hand into the room and had her crawl into the middle of the bed.
An hour later Stef woke up to Jude crying for Callie so she brought him into bed also, ending up curled on the end of the bed. Stef woke up to daylight and Lena holding a cup of coffee for her "Thank you, My Love," she said as she sat up and took a drink before looking over to the two kids fast asleep.
"You know, you keep this up and we'll have all five of them in our bed and we'll be on the floor."
"I know, I was just so tired," Stef said as Lena stepped towards her, Stef rested her head on Lena's stomach for a moment while Lena rubbed her back.
"Ready for first day fun?" Lena asked, "We need to get a clothing vouture for them both, I got a call from Brittany, Bill is their caseworker, he'll be by in an hour, which you know probably means 2 1/2. Plus, and you'll love this one, you have to go to the emergency placement hearing and testify as to what you and John saw in the apartment. It's scheduled for 4:30."
"And it's what time right now?" Stef asked as she stretched her back which ached from sleeping curled up and carrying Jude for so long yesterday.
"10:30, I figured we'd just let them wake up on their own."
Stef nodded in agreement as she stood and grabbed her robe, "This day is going to require a lot of caffeine."