A/N: Ok guys so I've been thinking, I have enough chapters done to do a two chapter update, this is a long way from finished and I'm currently at 22 and slightly lost for ideas! So from tomorrow on it's gonna be a double update!
Lena had placed Jude back in the bed and was now sitting on the floor with Callie and Stef, Stef had Callie in her lap and had Callie's hands in hers running her thumbs over the back of Callie's hands, Lena watched as the young girl relaxed into Stef, she smiled to herself, she turned her attention to Stef and gave her a look that told Stef they had to ask Callie about the nightmare, Stef nodded and lifted Callie up on her lap a bit more,
"Callie" Stef said softly remembering that Jude was sleeping above them in the bed, Callie looked up and then back down again, she knew what was coming, she had a nightmare, she was going to get shouted at, or at least that's what she thought,
"Callie honey, what happened" Lena said seeing Callie tense up on Stef's knee, Stef could feel her as her hands tighten their grip on hers, Stef ran her thumb over the back of Callie's hand trying to relax her,
"Its ok honey, we aren't going to hurt you" Stef said placing a small kiss on the back of Callie's head,
"I'm okay now" Callie said trying to get up, but Stef held her still,
"We know that honey, but we want to help you, can you tell us what you were dreaming about?" Lena asked softly as she moved closer to Stef and Callie, Callie just shook her head and tried once more to get off Stef, Stef looked at Lena and shook her head too, Lena let sighed and nodded,
"Ok Callie, how about we give you a bath and get you all nice and clean" Stef said as she turned Callie around, Callie shook her head,
"No…no like baths" Callie said looking at her hands, this set off warning flags in both Stef and Lena's minds, Stef saw what the nightmare was doing to Callie and she wasn't sure if she was ready for what the little girl said,
"that's ok, you can have a shower" Stef said, Callie looked up at her in disbelief, Callie never got an option, she had to get a bath, always had to get a bath, that's what her old foster fathers told her, she had to get a bath because they didn't have a shower, Callie looked at Stef, then to Lena and then back to Stef, Stef smiled at her and Callie nodded, "Ok then, Lena will go and get you some clean clothes and we will go and get a shower, yes?" Callie looked at Lena and then to Stef, she nodded and wrapped her arms around Stef's neck, Stef smiled and kissed her head before standing up and walking into the bathroom, she placed her on the floor as she turned and closed the door, "ok bug, how about you take off your clothes and put them in here" Stef said pointing to the hamper, "and I'll get the shower running" Callie nodded and began to unbutton her shirt, she took it off and threw on the floor, she done the same with her vest, her jeans and her pants, Stef turned around and laughed, "yes, the hamper is the floor for every child" she said as she bent down to pick them up, she smiled at Callie as she picked them up, but stopped when she noticed a bruise covering most of her abdomen, Stef dropped the cloths and sat on the floor infront of Callie, she ran her finger over the bruise, it was tender and probably hurt, she looked at Callie who had tears in her eyes, "what happened baby" Stef said putting her finger under Callie's chin, Callie just shook her head, and wrapped her arms around Stef's neck, Stef lifted her off the ground, she wasn't sure if she should give her a shower now or not, seeing as she was going to be getting new cloths on she decided on a shower, she walked into the shower fully clothed herself and set Callie down, Callie rubbed her eyes and smiled at Stef, Stef smiled back and grabbed a cloth,
"No water" Callie said, Stef laughed,
"Oh sorry" Stef said reaching up and turning the shower head around so it was over Callie's head, Callie giggled,
"Cold" Callie said through giggles, Stef smiled,
"It'll heat up in a few seconds" Stef said, while Callie was waiting for the water to heat up, Stef inspected Callie's front, she saw a few small bruises on her shoulders and one on the side of her neck, Stef felt sick, how could someone miss the one on her neck, sure Stef did but she wasn't looking for them, she was brought out of her thought by Callie poking her in the arm,
"Steffi, too warm" Callie said, Stef smiled and reached up and turned the dial so that it was a bit colder,
"Better?" Stef asked, Callie nodded, Stef grabbed the wash cloth that was at her feet and put it under the water, she put some of Lena's shower gel on it and rubbed Callie, Callie laughed, Stef did too, "what?" she asked
"Tickles" Callie said laughing, Stef just smiled and continued, she got as far as Callie's legs until Callie stopped laughing and turned around, Stef didn't know what to do, she looked at Callie and saw another bruise on her lower back, and three along her side, she also saw tiny scars along her shoulder blades, Stef was trying to fight back her tears, she washed Callie and then stopped whenever Callie turned around once she reached her legs, Stef dropped the cloth and just sat in the shower pulling Callie onto her lap, Callie wrapped her legs around Stef's waist and rested her head on her shoulder, Stef just held her.
Lena was looking through the cloths that they had bought Callie, she felt so giddy, this was first time that they were fostering a little girl and she was excited about being able to dress her up. They had bought Callie a variety of cloths, mostly jeans, t-shirts, some shorts and some dresses; they also bought her some clean underwear and some vests, Lena was currently trying to match outfits and hang them up in the closet in the spare room that they used for the children they fostered, it was a basic room, with white walls and various posters, Stef also put her artistic talents to use and painted different animals on the walls, it also had a small child's bed in the shape of a race car, although Lena knew that it wouldn't be a problem for Callie, she didn't seem to be the princess and rainbow sort of little girl, she had a action man t-shirt, Stef had put a spider-man t-shirt into the basket when Lena wasn't looking, the grin on her face when Lena went to pay for it was priceless, but she was still happy to wear dresses as long as they weren't 'pink and flowery, or all puffed out' as Callie told Lena after they had picked out four dresses, a red and white spotty one, a black and white one, a dark purple one and a dark green one that Lena loved, she had decided on a pair of jeans, a white t-shirt with a sheep on it and her new brown shoes, Lena smiled to herself and walked back into the bedroom with the clothes, she was gone for about 20 minutes and was surprised to see that Stef and Callie weren't in the bedroom, she walked to the bathroom door and knocked it gently, she pushed it open to see Stef sitting in the shower with Callie hugged to her chest, she placed the clothes on the counter and walked over to them,
"What's wrong?" Lena asked kneeling down outside the shower, Stef turned around with tears in her eyes,
"She's covered in bruises Lena" Stef whispered, Lena gasped and brought her hand up to her mouth, she reached into the shower and ran her hand through Callie's hair,
"How?" Lena asked after a few moments of silence.
"I don't know, I'm gonna find out, let's get her out and dressed first" Stef said, Lena nodded and stood up and reached for a towel, she held it open, Stef transferred Callie into Lena' arms, Callie wrapped her arms around Lena's neck and rested her head on her shoulder, Lena wrapped Callie tightly in the towel before handing Stef one too,
"I'll just get changed love" Stef said shaking her head, Lena nodded and walked out of the bathroom, she went to put Callie down on the bed but she refused to let go of her neck, Lena sat down with her and rocked her back and forth slowly, Stef came out of the bathroom a few moments later changed and a towel around her neck and Callie's cloths in her hands, she smiled sadly at her wife and walked over to the bed to sit beside them,
"I tried to put her down but she wouldn't let go" Lena whispered running her hand up and down Callie's back, Stef smiled at her wife sadly and nodded, she ran her fingers through Callie's hair, Callie turned her head around to face Stef and smiled at her, Stef's heart broke, her eyes were red and her checks wet with all the tears,
"Let's get you dried off and into some new cloths yeah?" Stef said smiling, Callie nodded and sat up on Lena's lap, Lena smiled at her as she started to unwrap the towel, she gasped as she saw the bruise on Callie's abdomen, it looked worse to Stef than it did in the shower, Callie just looked at Lena, Lena looked up at Callie with tears in her eyes,
"What happened you sweetie?" Lena asked running a finger over the bruise much like Stef had done in the shower,
"I was bad" Callie whispered so softly that they almost missed it, Stef and Lena looked at each other with mouths open and back to Callie,
"How were you bad Callie?" Stef asked, Callie looked at her hands and started to play with them, she shrugged first but Lena gently ran her hand through Callie's hair, she tensed,
"I was crying" Callie said softly, Lena couldn't take it anymore, she wrapped her arms around Callie tightly and pulled her close, Callie had no time to react and but didn't say anything, Stef ran her hand up Lena's arms and looked at her,
"Why were you crying baby?" Stef asked placing a hand on Callie's back, Callie flinched slightly but let her hand stay there.
"Sick" Callie said putting her thumb in her mouth, Lena reached and pulled it out, Callie gave her a look and Lena couldn't help but laugh a little, Stef even smiled,
"You were sick?" Stef said pushing some hair out of Callie's face, Lena realizing that it was slightly wet grabbed a hand towel and started to dry it, Stef watched as Callie turned her face up at first but let out a small laugh, Stef smiled and looked at Lena, Lena was smiling too, she was making Callie laugh, Stef smiled for a minute but then stopped, she needed to find out how Callie got her bruises, not just because she was a cop but because she felt something for this little girl, something she never felt with any of the other kids they fosters, she needed to know what happened her. "Callie" Stef said gently, Lena looked at her and shook her head,
"Leave it for now" Lena whispered as she finished drying Callie's hair, Stef let out a frustrated sigh and was about to protest when she got the 'really' look from Lena,
"Fine" Stef said as she reached for Callie's cloths, "here you go Callie" Stef said as she passed her a pair of pants and a vest,
"Thank you" Callie said as she grabbed then, jumped of Lena's lap and stood in front of her on the floor, she pulled the vest on, and put her pants on, Stef smiled, Stef then handed Callie her jeans and t-shirt, Callie looked at them before looking at Stef and Lena, "mine?" Callie asked, Lena smiled, she had put the t-shirt in the basket when Callie wasn't looking, Stef gave Lena a smiled and then nodded to Callie, Callie smiled and turned to face the door, she dropped her jeans on the floor and put the t-shirt over her head, she had trouble trying to get her arms in the sleeves, Stef laughed.
"Come here Callie" Stef said laughing, Callie turned around and walked to Stef, Stef helped her, she then reached for Callie's jeans she unbuttoned them and held them infront of Callie, Callie looked at her confused, "put your hands on my shoulder and put your legs in" Stef said trying not to laugh at the shock on Callie's face, Callie done what Stef asked and when she had then up enough Stef lifted Callie of the ground by the belt loops, Callie started to laugh uncontrollably and Stef and Lena joined in,
"That was fun" Callie said after Stef had buttoned them up, Callie looked around the room, "where Jude?" Callie asked looking at Lena, Lena smiled, she loved how adorable Callie sounded, not being able to pronounce her words properly only added to her cuteness,
"He's sleeping sweetie" Lena said, "see" she said as she lift Callie onto her lap, Callie looked around Lena and saw Jude sleeping in the middle of the bed, pillows on either side of him keeping him in place, Callie smiled and rested her head on Lena's shoulder, Lena and Stef looked at each other, they both knew they were going to be having a tough time with Callie, but they wanted her to feel as safe as possible while she was staying with them, for however long that might be.
