Hey everyone! Thank you so much for the positive feed back! A lot of you have been asking about ages, so just to clear that up in this fit everyone is the same age as in the show = )

Chapter 2

Stef got home late that night. When she got home, the kids were asleep upstairs, and Lena was waiting on the couch.

"What happened?" Lena asked her as soon as she got through the door. Stef could tell that Lena had been worried.

She sighed, "It was awful, Lena. I just want to hug all our babies and never let go." Stef began to cry softly.

Lena walked over to her and pulled her into a tight hug. She knew that whatever Stef had seen was awful. Stef never cries.

"What was it?" Lena asked. She hated pressing for information but she was really curious about what had happened.

"Two kids in a foster home. The foster father was beating the girl up bad, her little brother sneaked downstairs and called the cops. Lena, I don't even know if she's going to make it. I mean, I felt her pulse when I sat next to her but it was so frail. And the little boy, he was a mess. The girl, her name was Callie. Callie looked close to Mari's age. And Jude, that was the boy, maybe eleven? It's Christmas Eve, Lena. It's Christmas Eve and these poor babies got torn away form each other." Stef broke off sobbing, and Lena held her tighter.

Lena wanted to cry just as much. She couldn't imagine seeing anything like that.

"And this," Stef said as she pulled out the present, "was what Callie gave to Jude for Christmas. It's a little car, and he dropped it." She continued to cry.

"I'm so sorry, Honey. I'm so sorry that you had to see all of that." Lena said softly.

"I just wish we could do something. I have to at least get his car back to him, Lena." Stef explained.

"Okay," Lena agreed, "we'll do it tomorrow."

Stef nodded, "Okay."

~~~ *Next Morning*

Callie was alone in the hospital. She opened her eyes, looking around. For a moment, she wasn't sure where she was. Then she remember everything. She looked down at her arms, hand prints and bruises coated them like Henna tattoos.

Her pain level was past ten, and she wanted to scream. She was so frustrated, and sad, and sore.

"Jude?" She called out, realizing he wasn't around.

"Jude!" She yelled, trying to get up. She yanked the IV lines out of herself and tossed them on the ground. She stood up and swayed, immediately dizzy.

"Hey, hey, it's okay Sweetheart." A young woman said. She took Callie's shoulders to keep from falling. Callie lurched back, scared.

"Please don't hurt me, I'm just trying to find Jude." She explained nervously.

The doctor frowned, "I'm not going to hurt you, you're safe here. You have to rest Honey. You took a lot of damage." She explained, helping her back into bed.

Callie began to cry, "Please I just want to see Jude."

"I know, Honey. I'll get someone in here to get you come answers, okay?" She asked, as she put Callie's IV lines back in.

Callie nodded, "Thank you."

"Can I see Callie yet?" Jude asked. He hadn't slept yet. The CPS worker, Denise, took him back to her office. The office provided emergency places to sleep for cases like this.

"Did you sleep at all yet?" Denise asked. She wanted to avoid the question for now. She hadn't gotten in touch with the hospital yet.

"No. I want to see Callie." He said, folding his arms across his chest.

"Okay, Jude. Let me call." She said, walking to her desk.

Jude watched her, making sure she was really calling. Callie had told him if they had ever gotten seperated, to never trust anyone.

"I won't always be around, Jude." Callie said. They were sitting in bed, and it was dark out. This foster home was just as bad as the rest.

"What do you mean?" He asked, looking up at her.

"I mean I won't always he here to keep you safe. Some day someone might hurt me too much, and I won't be around." She explained to her young brother. This was a few years ago, and Jude was just a little boy.

"Like Mom?" He asked her.

Callie looked down, "yes, like Mom."

Jude started to cry, "but I don't want you to go."

Callie smiled, "don't worry, Baby. I'm not going anywhere yet."

Jude wiped his eyes, "then why did you say that?"

Callie put her arm around him, "because it's important for you to know these things."

"Why?" Jude asked, confused.

Callie sighed, "because when I'm gone you have to take care of yourself. If you are ever seperated from me, don't ever trust anyone. Don't believe what they say. No matter how hard they try to convince you that they love you, they just want to hurt you in the end."

"Like Liam?" He asked.

Callie's voice cracked, "yes, Jude. Like Liam."

"Good news," Denise said as she walked back over to him, "you can see your sister." She had pulled Jude out of his flashback, startling him.

"Really?" He asked.

Denise nodded, "Really."

Jude debated whether or not he should trust her. Things were different now that he was alone. He had to think like Callie. He shook the thought out of his head, Denise had been their social worker forever. He knew she would bring him to her.

"Okay." Jude agreed.

Stef and Lena smiled as they watched the kids open their gifts. A new keyboard for Brandon, a playstation 4 for Jesus, new clothes for Marianna, and much more. The kids were thrilled.

Brandon immediately began playing Christmas music on his new keyboard, while Jesus set up his new system. Marianna ran up the stairs with a outfit in hand, and returned moments later.

"Ahh, beautiful Miss Thing!" Stef said, smiling at her daughter.

"Moms, this is the best thing ever!" Jesus exclaimed as he booted up the system.

Brandon continued to play Christmas tunes, completely in his own little world.

"What's up, Honey?" Lena asked, noticing that Stef was quiet.

Stef sighed, "Just thinking about those two kids."

Lena smiled, "You want to go, don't you?"

Stef pursed her lips, "Will you be mad?"

Lena shook her head and laughed, "I can't stop you. Your heart is too big, and you're too stubborn."

Stef laughed, "The kids-"

"Are completely wrapped up in what they're doing." Lena finished.

"Thank you." Stef said, giving Lena a kiss.

"Callie!" Jude yelled, running up to his sister.

"Jude, Baby." Callie let out a sigh of relief, looking her brother over.

"Are you hurt?" She asked.

Jude shook his head.

"Where were you?" She said, still looking him over.

"I was with Denise." He said, just as she came into the room.

Callie let out another sigh of relief. Although Denise often put them in bad homes, she knew it was never intentional. She also knew she would never hurt Jude.

"Callie, how are you?" Denise asked, walking up to her.

Callie sighed, "I'm okay. Sore, but okay."

Jude looked at the bruises on her face, and began to cry, "Callie it's so bad."

Callie blinked back her tears, "I know Baby. But I'm okay. See? I'm here, i'm okay."

Jude nodded, and crawled up beside her.

"So as you know," Denise started, "We need to find you two another place."

Callie nodded, "I know."

Denise let out a long sigh, "This is where it gets hard."

Callie looked up at her, confused, "Why?"

Denise looked at the two kids, "We have to separate you this time."

"Hi, yes this is Officer Foster. I was on the call last night with the two kids," Stef explained over the phone, "yes. How are they?" She was in her uniform, and speaking through her bluetooth as she drove.

"And the girl?" She asked, preparing herself for the worst.

She was happy to hear that Callie was alive, "Where are they now?" She looked over at the little present sitting on the seat.

"Okay. Thanks."

She drove over to the hospital, which was where she was already headed. She figured Callie would at least be there. She was surprised to hear that Jude was with her.

She parked the cruiser and took the present with her, walking into the hospital.

After she explained who she was and why she was there, she found the room the kids were in.

She poked her head through the door, and saw both the kids crying. Denise was sitting in a stool, facing them. The kids were curled up on Callie's hospital bed, and Callie was clinging to Jude.

Callie still looked awful. She had taken a serious beating. To Stef's relief, there were no broken bones.

"Hi, I'm Stef Foster." Stef said, announcing herself as she walked in. All three people stared at her.

"Jude my friend," She said walking over to him, "I believe this is yours." Stef handed him the present. She noticed that when she walked over to him, Callie pulled him closer. She could tell these kids had been through a lot.

"Hi Stef, Denise." Denise said, introducing herself.

"Hi. I just wanted to bring Jude his present and check to see how they were doing." Stef explained. She had a soft spot for the kids, she felt awful for them.

"Not so good," Denise said, "We're afraid that we have to separate them now."

"What? Why?" Stef was shocked.

"No one on our list wants to take Callie in. Just Jude, so Callie has to go to a group home." Denise explained. Stef looked over at the two kids, who were both crying still.

"I don't want to leave Callie." Jude cried.

"Denise?" Stef said, bring back her attention, "may I speak with you outside?"

Denise nodded, following Stef out the door. Stef closed the door so the kids couldn't hear her speaking.

"What's the story with these kids?" She asked.

"Why do you ask?" Denise asked, confused.

Stef sighed, "My wife and I, we have three children. Two adopted. We're foster parents." Stef explained.

"Oh," Denise said, appalled, "Their mother and father were in a car accident when they were young. Their father was drunk, and got arrested. Their mother... she died. They've been in the foster system since." She explained.

Stef's heart dropped, "Oh my goodness."

Denise nodded, "It's incredibly sad. They're sweet kids. Just can't find a place to land."

"Well," Stef said, smiling, "I think I have an idea."