A/N: Thank you for all the reviews! Love those!
I'm so sorry for the waiting! I was having a hard time finding some time to write and update my stories, but I'll try harder. I hope to update Feels Like Home to Me soon also.
And last, but not least, I made a trailer for our story, as some of you asked me! I hope you like it! The link is at my profile, tell me what you think.
The link is this one: watch?v=5C2u1jJjGV0
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All the siblings were reunited in the living room, with some mattresses at the floor and the couch made up for them to sleep in when Callie and the moms went downstairs. Both woman were incredible worried about Callie, but at least they felt like they knew what was going on in her mind. Mariana, at the other hand, knew something freaking scary was going on, and was beyond worried.
Jude, Mariana and Brandon were working on the signs to welcome Jesus, when they saw their mothers and their sister, descending the stairs.
"Hey Cals, look" Jude said, trying to be nice with her "I need your help, like an artistic insight to make this more unique or something" she looked at him and smiled. The love she felt for that little guy was different from everything she had ever felt before.
"I'll make some popcorn, what do you guys think?" Lena said, also smiling, receiving a positive response from the boys. "Stef, will you help me?" she asked, and noticed that her wife was completely distracted, looking at her phone "Stef?"
"What?" the blonde asked, looking at her wife. Then she saw that Callie was already painting something aside with Jude, and realized she wasn't paying attention at all "Sorry babe, what do you need?"
"Come help me in the kitchen honey, please" Lena said and Stef followed her. "What is going on, someone from work?" Lena asked her wife when they got to the kitchen, while she reached for a couple of bows to put the popcorn in. "Or are you distracted because of our talk with Callie?"
"Both actually" Stef answered, "Something about all this just doesn't make sense Lena. Callie is hiding something" she said, seating in one of the stools while Lena popped the popcorn
"Well, at least she's going to the therapy. It's a start honey, one step of the time" Lena said, while putting the popcorn in the bows, and then glancing at Stef, who was staring at the phone again "Ok, what is it with the phone?" she asked, supporting her hands on the table
"Capitan Roberts is talking about the detective job again" Stef said in a sigh "Apparently they have a position in a special unit, and she recommended me for it" at that, Lena got a seat as well
"Well, what are you gonna do?" she asked "Honey you know that a position like this will require a lot of your time, yes? And with Jesus, and…"
"Yeah, but we also need the money" Stef said "And it is a onetime opportunity Lena. I have to say, I'm inclined to take it"
"Stef, I need you here more than never. It's not a great time for you to be absent. Jesus is coming home tomorrow for god sake! And what about Callie, she is a mess, and she needs you here. No to mention Mariana, who is on speed, and Jude smoking pot, and Brandon with all that college mess" she said in one unique breath
"I know love, do you think I don't know that? But we need the money, and I'll be around just as much as usual, I promise" Lena got up at that
"Well, sounds like you already made your mind" she said, getting the bows and walking out
"Lena wait" Stef said, frustrated. Lena was right, she had made up her mind, but she didn't want to make her wife upset. She sighed and decided to continue this conversation later. She needed to figure this out with her wife, because if she was accepting this job, she was required to start as soon as possible.
Stef took some time too cool of and got up to go back to her family. What she saw, at first, made her smile a little. Jude, Mariana and Callie were discussing about how to make the letters on the sign, while Brandon was looking thru Netflix to find something for them to watch. Lena had one of the two popcorn bows in her lap, helping Brandon decide. She just stood there, for a while, leaning against the doorframe, taking the sight in. However, her simile disappeared slowly when she noticed how her kids really looked. Jude was tense beside Callie, he felt guilty about all that went down between them and he had never seen her like this, so he was also scared. Brandon was anxious, he kept looking at the TV, but wasn't really paying attention, she could tell. Then she noticed how Mariana seemed preoccupied, and she wondered if she was still on something. But then, she noticed how the latina would look at Callie every other minute. Of course, they were best friends, but this was not a standard behavior for her. It made her wonder if she was just too worried about everything, or if she just knew something that her and Lena didn't. And, last but not least, she looked at Callie. She would force a smile now and then, when Jude said something to her, but her eyes were empty, her face was pale and she was too jumpy. Something about hers and Mariana's behavior made her stomach churn. And, in a not rational way, made her want to accept the detective job even more.
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Callie was finding easier to distract herself with all her family around. Even though her moms knew something was wrong, they did the best they could to make the evening as light as possible for everyone.
Are you okay? Are you sure you can't come?
She read a new message from Daphne and sighed. She was in pain, and with so much fear, but it was easier than she thought it was going to be, being around her siblings and parents. When the sign was ready, they all prepared themselves for the movie Brandon had picked, but Callie wasn't really paying attention. She answered Daphne, and then received another message; it was a link to a news report, with a message below
"Man involved in hit and run dies after a few days in the hospital. The two survivor children of the family are officially in the foster system, waiting for an adoption"
Well, well, well… That makes you responsible for the death of 3 people! And to top it all, those two kids are in foster care, just like you and Jude. I bet they'll hate you, as much as you must hate your father for ruining your life, right? Hope them find a good home, I hear the Olmsted's are willing to foster again.
Good night princess, see you soon
It was Troy's. She was at the couch, between Mariana and Stef when she received the text. Callie felt her hands go numb, shivers go up thru all her body, and her sight got a weird. Suddenly it was hard to breath, her heart was bumping fast and hard, but still she felt like she had no strength. Mariana looked at her, and took her hand in hers, knowing something was wrong, but that she wouldn't want the moms to know. But, as soon as Callie felt the touch, she jumped, getting Stef's attention
"What's going on?" she asked, getting Lena's attention as well
"Nothing" Mariana said rather quickly
"Cal, are you alright?" Lena asked, getting up from her seat in the chair, and going closer to her. Now the entire family had their eyes on her again, just great "Honey, you are really pale" she tried again. Callie had glassy eyes, looking ahead, trying to recompose herself, trying to think about anything other than the message she had just received.
"Cals?" Stef tried now, once Lena didn't get any response. She tried to brush a lock of hair from her face, but Callie jumped again
"Sorry" she said "I just, need to go to the restroom" but she didn't have the strength to get up. She felt dizzy and nauseous
"Oh, I have to go too" Mariana said getting up and pulling Callie by the hand. This time she didn't jumped with the touch, and them both were gone before one of the moms could say something. They just looked at each other, concern transpiring from their eyes
"Mom, what's wrong with her?" Brandon asked "Is she sick or something?"
"I don't think so honey" Lena was the one to answer, as Stef was still staring at the door witch both of her daughters went thru. "It's just being a lot you know? She's stressed, we all are"
"She's not stressed" Jude said, getting Stef's attention
"What do you mean bud?" the blond asked
"She's not stressed, she's scared" he said
"Have you seen her act like this Jude?" Lena asked
"Well, not exactly" he said "But kind of, yeah. In some of the houses we lived, she would act weird, like she was having some panic attack or something, be she always said it was nothing and I would believe her, until…"
"Until what?" Jude looked at his hands
"Well, there was this was time, she would act like this and it turned out our foster father was beating her and bullying her. She ended up in the hospital" he saw the concern in his mothers eyes, and continued "But it's fine right, obviously, no one is hurting her here. We're home" he said, opening a timid smile, that Lena tried to correspond to.
"Hey, where you're going?" Lena asked her wife, who got up in a jump
"I'll check on them" she said, living no room for a discussion. She went to the downstairs bathroom, and heard Mariana's voice, so she stopped to hear before knocking on the door.
"Cal, please calm down, you're scaring me" she said "Talk to me" Callie sat on the toilet seat, while Mariana stood in front of her "Listen, I know you're scared, and I'm here for you. But I can't keep helping you with moms, if you don't tell me what's going on" she tried. At this Stef's concern only grew, if not even Mariana knew what was wrong, then something must be seriously wrong with Callie.
"I'm fine Mari, just leave me alone" Callie said in a raspy voice "Why can't you just do that?"
"Because" Mariana said, feeling slightly hurt "I'm your sister and you are my best friend. I won't let you alone" at that Callie started to cry, covering her face with her hands. She couldn't control herself any longer. While her eyes were closed, she could see Troy's face and her picture laying broken and violated. She could hear the crash from the cars, she could imagine her and Jude first going to their first foster home, and how scared they were, and couldn't help but imagine that there were another couple of siblings lost in the world right now and she felt responsible. She could only hear the faint voice of her sister, so far away, while she could feel his hands all over her body and the pain radiating thru her body, especially her ribs and her head. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. She was in the dark, she was so lost. She had no anchor anymore, she was all alone, lost in her head. She could see the picture of a happy family, that she had seen in one of the news reports, and she knew she had some fault in destroying them.
When Callie started to cry, Mariana tried to calm her, but with no success. That's when Stef started knocking on the door, feeling helpless to know that her baby was suffering so much behind that door
"Cal, calm down please" Mariana said
"Mariana, open the door now" Stef said, talking lauder then she realized she was, and scaring Callie further. The girl shrank while all she could hear was Troy trying to barge in to hurt her again.
"But"
"Now Mariana" she tried again and the teen complied. Mariana felt terrible. She had two siblings who were the same age as her, and they where her best friends ever, they where each other rocks. Now both of them were hurting, and she felt terrible and someway responsible for all that was happening. She also felt lost. Was she loosing her best friends, both at the same time? As soon as she opened the door, Stef came right in, and rushed in Callie's direction.
"Shhh honey, it's me" she said, taking the fragile girl in her arms once again that night "It's mom, you're okay" she said rocking her. Callie couldn't hear her. She was still lost. But as the time passed, her body found the comfort in the mother's embrace, and in the steady movement she was doing. That made her calm a bit "Please honey, breathe with mom okay?"
"Mariana, please excuse us" they heard Lena's voice. She had came to see how Stef was doing with the girls, and found a broken Callie in Stef's arm, at the bathroom floor
"But momma"
"No but's, please go stay with your brothers" she said firmly and the girl complied. Lena kneeled beside her daughter and wife, caressing Callie's back gently.
"Cal, honey" she said "Breathe sweetie. You're he with us, you're safe. Mom and I are here and we'll protect you from anything okay?" she tried. Both woman stayed there with a broken girl for what seemed like an hour, until she calmed herself entirely
"M' sorry" she said. All the energy had been drained from her body, she had given up. She needed to sleep, even if that meant to have nightmares. She had her head in the crock of Stef's neck, and her body finally felt relaxed with some human contact.
"It's okay honey, everything is okay" Stef said
"Are you sure you want to sleep in the living room with everybody?" Lena asked "You don't have too sweetie" Callie nodded
"I want too" she said simply. So Stef and Lena helped her up, and while she was getting up, she winced in pain, forgetting about her disguise.
"What? What is it?" Lena asked, worried. Callie tried to breath, while holding her middle, which hurt so much
"Are you feeling sick love? It is your stomach, or what?" Stef tried also, but the girl didn't reply. Lena took a cup of water from the sink, and helped Callie to take a sip. Callie wasn't expecting to feel something in her mouth, and wasn't listening to them very well yet. Lena tried to put the cup in her mouth to help her, while saying
"Just take a sip baby, it's okay" but the girl, who was with her eyes closed, could only feel someone forcing something she didn't want in her mouth. And it was worse when she felt the water in her lips. She could feel Troy forcing himself in her mouth and emptying himself on her. Callie first reflex would have been to fight, but her body couldn't even stand alone. So, the next thing they know, and Callie had pushed the cup, dropping it on the floor, and then turning fast to hold the sink strongly with her both hands, while she vomited. Lena and Stef just glanced at each other, more and more concerned about their daughter situation. She didn't have too much on her stomach to throw up, but she did it anyway, and it was so painful. Lena kept caressing her back, while Stef hold her hair and both tried to calm her.
After that, they helped her to lay down at one of the mattresses that the other kids had set in the living room, and covered her up so she could rest.
"Do you want some ginger ale honey?" Lena asked, and she just denied. Mariana sat at her side, followed by Jude. The moms decided not to force her to talk, or anything, they just wanted her to rest, because they could see how exhausted she was. After cleaning the water that Callie had dropped in the restroom, Lena went back to the living room, some time after everything happened, and found all four kids asleep, and Stef nowhere to be seen. So she went to the kitchen and found her there, looking at her notebook.
"Hey, what are you doing?" she asked, putting her hand at her wife's shoulder
"Just searching some things about panic attacks" she said quietly.
"Oh honey, that's not gonna help" she said calmly "Each case is unique. And besides, we're not even sure that's the issue"
"Ok, so what do we know? Because right now all I know is that I have one kid at the hospital, and another one completely broken Lena" Stef sighed "She's… just… broken" the woman said, with her eyes watery
"I'm worried about her too, but we'll help her, I promise"
"Worried? Well, I'm beyond worried Lena. Something is terrible wrong and I know it" Stef said matter-of-factly "And it scares me so much, that I'm even more concern with that broken girl, who is here with us, than Jesus who's so hurt and far away. You know why? Because at least I know what's wrong with him, so I can fix it. I have no clue what is going on with Callie, and it kills me" she said sadly
"I know honey, it kills me too. But I really think we are on the right path with her. Maybe is a good thing that she is showing those emotions, maybe it means that she feels safe to show us how she feels" Lena tried to reason, but Stef knew it was something more. She had that gut feeling, and it wasn't a light feeling. "What's this?" Lena asked, before Stef could answer her. The brunette, who was behind Stef, saw one new email message, called "Evidence Diamond Case" coming.
"Well, the detectives on that special unit are sending me some evidence to analyze from the case we are working on" she said like it wasn't a big deal.
"We?" Lena questioned, intrigued. She knew her wife would end up accepting the job, but she didn't expect it to be so fast
"Yeah, well, they need the help Lena" Stef said, closing the notebook "And this case… I can't stay put and do nothing, is horrendous. I know you would do everything in your power to help if it was you in my place" Lena softened a little, and got a seat beside Stef
"What is it about?" she asked, now concerned about the subject
"Uh… Well, it's a sex crimes gang they are trying to catch for some time now. They are pretty bad business actually" Lena sighed, how could people do such things like that? "And they deal with children and teenagers basically" at that Lena's eyes grew wide
"What? What do they do?"
"For what it seems, there are different types od perverts in this gang. Some of them kidnap kids and abuse them. Other just rape a few kids, and others are pimps and use the kids to gain money. They work each other, what seems like a club or something" Stef said, massaging her temples. She couldn't help it but think about her own little girls in a situation like this. At Lena's silence, she continued "This girl, Diamond, she works for one of the pimps. And we need to help her to get out of this life. Maybe she can also help us, by giving some more information on how this group works"
"God Stef, this is awful. I know you're nature is to help people, but this is just too.. too much" she said "Please be careful, we also need you"
"I know you do honey" Stef smiled a little "And I'll always be here"
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Next day came fast, and neither one of the moms could sleep. There was just too much happening, and they were beyond worried. About all of the kids, about how things would be with Jesus from now on, about their carriers, the lack of money, everything. It was such a challenge to raise all these kids, but they loved them all so much, they couldn't imagine a different life.
Callie was quiet. Too quiet. She didn't say a word at breakfast, nor did she helped choosing the pizza's flavors. Stef and Lena both had tried to talk to her at some point, but she just nodded or answered with monosyllabic words, so they figured she needed some space. They both left the kids alone, so they could go pick Jesus up and bring him home soon.
Everything was going smoothly. Jesus seemed in a good mood for the majority of the time, Emma was there to see him too, and the siblings were all extra helpful and excited. That was until Stef offered Jesus a piece of pepperoni pizza. He went crazy, because he didn't want the round red things on his pizza
"Honey, it's pepperoni" Lena said "Your favorite flavor" he looked at it still mad and Stef step up to help
"We can take it off, see" she said, taking the pieces of pepperoni off of his pizza, but it didn't help.
"I don't want it" he all but screamed and pushed the plate away with a force. Everyone was in shock, without knowing how to react. The moms recovered quickly though. Callie on the other hand, felt her chest tighten and her heart pulse fast. She could hear Troy screaming and cursing at her moms. She was seated eating her pizza, with Brandon in front of her and he noticed her demeanor. Her eyes were glassy and she was staring at the pizza she had dropped at the plate.
"Callie, are you okay?" he asked, noticing she had ketchup on her cheek "Here, let me" he said, motioning to clean it for her, but she jumped before he could touch her. Stef was reaching for the plate Jesus had thrown at the floor, and saw Brandon's expression
"What is going on here?" she asked getting closer to them, and noticed how Callie seemed to be paralyzed
"I don't know, Jesus freaked out, and she just froze" he said, looking scared "I tried to clean her cheek, to help her, but she jumped, I don't know what I did"
"You didn't do anything" Stef said, putting the plate Jesus had thrown at side, and kneeling next to Callie "Hey sweets, can you tell me what's wrong?" Callie then looked at her. She came back to her own body and noticed how worried and tired her mom seemed. They had too much on their plates, she remembered. She shouldn't be adding on their worries. Why was she so out of control? She felt her phone vibrating before she could answer her mom, and looked at it right away
I'm always watching you. If you tell anything, bad things will happen. Think about jail time, while I enjoy my freedom with Jude and Mariana. And with Jesus and your moms too, why not?"
"Hey, I'm talking to you" Stef called her again. Callie looked at her mom again, now with trembling hands and watery eyes. She couldn't take it anymore, she had had enough. But her family deserved better, they deserved to be happy. What should she do?
"I'm fine" she said between her teeth "Please, worry 'bout Jesus" she tried
"Sweets, he's with momma. He's fine, I'm here, talk to me" the worried mom tried. At that moment the doorbell rang, and Mariana went to answer
"It's AJ" she said, before going back and then Callie felt scared again. She didn't want to be around any man. Any boy. None. Without noticing, she took Stef's hand, nervous and trembling
"What is it sweetie?" the mom tried, bringing her closer to her, until she could hug the sixteen year old, and the girl let her. "Tell me baby"
"Don't let him touch me" she whispered, without thinking clearly.
"Hey" AJ said going inside, along with Mike. Stef was alarmed by what she had just heard, and didn't payed attention to the two
"Who honey?"
"None of them" Callie said, and Stef just hold her closer.
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After all the messed-up situations that happened that day, Stef told Mike and AJ that they needed some alone time, and they understood. AJ was a little hurt, because Callie was acting so strangely with him, but he decided to try and talk to her later. He knew she wasn't the kind to just talk about everything easily, so he would give her some time. Lena and Stef scheduled an appointment for the girls the next day and tried to understand Callie's triggers to start reacting the way she was. Lena still believed strongly that she was starting to deal just now with all her traumas, and that was a good thing, because she would be able to heal.
"Really? She had other moments to do that. Why didn't she act like that before Liam's trial?"
"Because she still didn't trust us as much then" Lena answered a pissed Stef, while they were changing for bed that night
"Yeah, what about that time when she found him at that Mexican fair? Or, or when she questioned him about the bags he was buying in her name? Didn't she trust us then either?" Stef said, making her point, while putting her pajama pants
"Of course she did. But the brain it's not that simple honey. Maybe she was just used to deal with all of those stuff, and now she isn't so much anymore, thank god"
"I don't know babe. I just want her to catch a break for a change" Stef sighed.
Callie was at the couch with Mariana, talking to Jesus. The moms had let them stay there until he fell asleep. Mariana was actually doing all the talking, but Callie was feeling more in control at that time. She didn't want to worry anyone anymore. She thought that the pain in her body was going to be the worst part to hide from her family, but now that she was used to it, the harder part was to hide the mess in her brain. She excused herself to go take a shower, which was her third that day, and worked on climbing the stairs with her damaged body. Lucky enough she had learned the best way to do it. When she entered her bedroom to find the sweatshirt from Stef and a pajama pant, she found something on her bed. She was so scared to see what it was, but she knew she had too. It was a note, and it said: "We have a party to attend tomorrow. Please behave, can't wait to see you again". She threw the paper like it had burnt her skin, and all but ran to the bathroom. Same thing again, the shower burning up on her skin, the shame of looking at the mirror and showing the more and more blue and purple marks on her body, that each day looked worse, and the need to throw up even if she was with her stomach almost empty. Almost, because her mothers made her eat that day. And she obeyed, because that kind of orders she received from them, made her feel loved like she almost didn't remember being.
At the bedroom next to her, Stef was lying in her bed, looking at the ceiling, thinking about how everything got so messed-up. Her heart knew something was terrible wrong, and she jus couldn't put her finger on it. She also knew, somehow, that she had to work that Diamond case. She knew it didn't make any sense, but something inside of her told her it was the best way to help her family. Her daughter. That's why she knew she would be working that case right in the field already next day, even if she knew that her wife wouldn't be too happy about it, with a sick child at home. It had to be done. She didn't know why, she just knew it had to.
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A/N: So, so, so sorry for the long wait! I'm really sorry, I hope I can update more often from now on. Please review, it helps me a lot to not give up on this story.
What did you guys think about this chapter? I can tell you that Stef will find out about Troy soon. Probably next chapter. So please review, tell me how you think it's going to happen.
And don't forget to check out the trailer of this fic.
The link is this one: watch?v=5C2u1jJjGV0