AN- I read a very true very scary wake up article just on this subject this week. It was a big wake up call. I have the link and the article if anyone wants to PM for the article that Lena is referring to. I didn't want to just post it on here as it is a little bit scary and I really want people think on it before they read the article. This is a serious subject and it really is happening all around us. Please be careful on who to trust, and please believe in yourself and respect yourself. Anyways.. Sorry for the delay last week was swamped. Imagine I had to work.. Psh..
Again if you want to read what Lena read please PM me.
This here is just a fictional story and it does mention a serious subject.
AND... Thank you for reading! Putting up with mistakes and encouraging me with reviews!
"Stef?" Lena said as Stef came out of the bedroom getting ready to crawl into bed. "Stef, I want to scare them"
Stef raised her eyebrow at her wife and climbed in beside Lena scooting as close as she could so she could look over Lena's shoulder's at her laptop screen. "What are you reading, love?"
"An article about a Washington teen, Mariana's age, ran away from home and ended up in a sex trafficking ring. Stefanie this article is terrifying and gruesome. They are everywhere hidden in plain sight! They could be living right next door to us. Trapped girls. What a horrible life."
Stef ran her fingers through Lena's curls "Yes love." She agreed "Now, you know why I came unglued. I know the risks. I know that if something happened to them in a world like that. I may not be able to find them. Don't you know how much that scares me?"
Lena's eyes were still glued to the computer screen "My stomach hurts."
Stef carefully closed the lid of the laptop and slid it off of Lena's lap moving it over to her side of the bed so it could rest on her nightstand. "Try not to focus on it right now."
Lena brought her lip in and bit down on it. "Did you lock the doors?"
Stef nodded "All the doors are locked, the alarm system we have is back on. The kids are aware it's on but they don't have the code to turn it off. I put sticks in the windows and they have fans on tonight. The house is secure."
"Funny" Lena shook her head "That's not comforting. I think we need to make the girls read that article tomorrow."
Stef raised her eyebrow "Really? Isn't it graphic?"
Lena nodded "Pretty darn graphic, and scary and I am not one for scaring my kids in general, but I want to scare my kids. I want them to be cautious and smart. They both think we are over reacting and that Charlie is some young adult with not social skills."
Stef contemplated what Lena said before she nodded "Alright, tomorrow morning we'll pull them in here and we'll read it together. I don't want them to read it alone."
Lena nodded "Agreed."
"Are you prepared to deal with nightmares?" Stef asked "Because we both know how Mariana does when something scares her"
"I am willing to risk sleepless nights and elbows in my ribs for them to get the point of this. Stef. This is terrifying!" She shook her head "They have to see this isn't some big joke!"
Stef grabbed Lena's hand and intertwined her fingers with Lena's. "I am going to be working more for the next couple of weeks. I know that's a lot on you."
"You're going to be working more hours?" Lena raised her eyebrow "Really?"
"To make sure Charlie is convicted and behind bars. That's how I will protect our girls."
Lena squeezed Stef's hand "Do you think he's really set on them?"
Stef shook her head "I can't take chances that he's not."
"Like he could really like Callie as a sister"
Stef nodded "Of course, there is always a chance of that, but with his files what I've seen in his files, and I saw those texts. He's making his money off of little girls. My gut tells me he is"
"Well he won't be making any money off our little girls" Lena shook her head
"Exactly!" Stef nodded "Which is why I am going to be working more."
Lena sighed "I don't like it, but I do know that it's for the best. I have to have this guy put away so I can have my girls safe. I don't like the fact that they were friendly with someone who could potentially be running a sex trafficking ring."
"I don't like they were in his apartment" Stef admitted "We could have lost them."
Lena shivered "I don't think, I can think about this anymore tonight or I won't sleep"
Stef rubbed Lena's arms "They are safe, they are honey. They are in our house. Safe in their beds. They may not love the next few weeks, but until Charlie is no longer a threat, they won't have much freedom."
"I don't care if they like it or not!" Lena shook her head "They will deal with it!"
Stef laughed "You tell them mama."
"Oh, this mama will tell them" Lena said fluffing her pillow "This mama's going to be their new best friend."
Stef laughed "The next few weeks are going to be fun in this house."
"Fun, but safe" Lena agreed.
THE FOSTERS
Callie took a sip of her orange juice and pushed her corn flakes around her bowl while Lena rattled off the new ground rules for her and Mariana. The two of them were on the shortest leashes Callie had ever been on in her entire life. She was surprised they were even letting them pee by themselves. She rolled her eyes dramatically as Lena added and you will be in your room and in bed by nine with the window shut.
"Are you rolling your eyes at your mother young lady?" Stef demanded grabbing Callie's attention as she put her orange juice down and stole a quick look at Stef's face cringing at the look she was giving her.
"Um.."
"I don't think so" Stef said leaning across the table putting her face inches from Callie's. She was so close Callie could smell the coffee and tooth paste on her breath. "You will not show mama any disrespect by rolling your eyes at her! This is not a joke Callie!"
Callie wanted to push Stef out of her space. She didn't like people in her space it made her cringe a little and feel claustrophobic.
"That would be a bad move little girl" Stef warned as if she read Callie's mind. "Me being in your space is the least of your problems."
Callie looked down "Sorry" She mumbled "But you two are being ridiculous and are way over reacting!"
"Oooh" Mariana let out a groan "Callie."
Callie looked to her "What?! They are being beyond over protective! We can't walk to school? We are being walked to our first class and have to be at the office by the end of the school day. We don't get to hang out with anyone outside of school. All because the think Charlie is a sex trafficking ring leader, they think he is. He could be innocent!"
Mariana put her head down on the counter she was glad the boys had been sent to play video games.
"Callie" Lena said calmly "I would like you to go upstairs, go to my room and wait for us there."
"What?" Callie asked her jaw dropping "Why? For stating what I believe"
"Callie, you're out of line right now. Do as your mother asked and go to our room. Trust that we have reasoning."
Callie snatched a muffin from the basket before she headed up the stairs mumbling about unfairness.
"Callie" Stef warned, as mumbling was a Foster House hold was a no thank you.
Lena looked to Mariana "We are sending you up there too, but you're not in trouble. Mom and I want to do something with you together. We want to talk to you. Inform you."
"Then why did you send Callie up early?" Mariana asked "That seemed like a punishment."
Stef laughed "No darling, that was just sparing your sister from mama."
Lena nodded "As kids used to say when I got riled up over something. Lena can be mena" She smirked
Mariana laughed "Are you kidding me? Really mom"
"Mariana, I am going to take you upstairs, with your sister and we are going to read something together. It's not pretty and it's a little bit scary, but it's important." Lena said getting serious
Mariana let her toast drop to her plate "You really are freaked out about this Charlie thing, aren't you?" Her eyes were big as all of a sudden she was understanding how dangerous the situation could be.
"Yes! Yes baby" Lena said her eyes big "I didn't realize how scary this could be until I found this article we are going to read."
Mariana sighed "I am sorry, I'll stop making jokes I'll do whatever you say. I don't want you to worry mom"
"Thank you baby" Stef nodded "Why don't you go on up and join Callie."
Mariana nodded and left the room quickly before Stef turned to Lena "Are you alright?"
She nodded "I am fine, I just wish Callie would take this more seriously, not roll her eyes and scoff at us"
Stef laughed "Maybe, but baby that was our first break through teenager moment with that kid. She treated us like we were her annoying parents!"
Lena gave Stef a small smile and nodded "That would make me smile more if it weren't over such a sensitive subject."
Stef rubbed Lena's shoulder "Lets go read a little story to our little girls shall we."
Lena nodded and headed up the stairs.
"Alright girls" Lena looked at the two "climb in bed with me either side"
Callie was able to control her eye roll at the moment and climbed in next to Lena, scooting close so she could see the laptop screen Lena had in front of her.
Stef chose to slide in next to Callie to try and keep the quiet so not to set Lena off.
"Alright" Lena took a deep breath "I know this is graphic, and I know it's scary but mom and I want you to know how serious this is."
Mariana wrapped her arms around Lena's arm and held on resting the side of her head on Lena's arm.
Callie just crossed her arms over her chest and tried to keep her body from touching either one.
"Alright you two" Lena said calmly "Just listen while I read."
Mariana nodded and Callie rolled her eyes earning a flick on her arm from Stef. "One more eyeroll this morning and you're going to spend a lot of time in your room writing me a ten page paper on respecting one your mother and what that looks like."
"Whoa" Mariana whistled as Callie nodded clearly showing Stef she understood what was just said.
Lena began to read the article and Mariana's eyes got wide "This girl is my age!"
"Yes baby" Lena nodded "That's why we want you to understand why Charlie may not be who you think he is."
The more Lena read the closer to Stef Callie scooted until she had her face buried in Stef's chest. The details of what Lena was reading was reliving Liam all over again. She wanted to throw up.
Stef wrapped her arms tightly around the girl. Wishing the tighter she held her the better she could protect her from life, she kissed the top of her head. "I've got you."
Lena finished the article and the room was silent.
After a few minutes Lena finally found her voice. "Now, do you girls see why, we are leery of Charlie. If the police are right like they think they are.. Do you see what life could be like if he got a hold of you? It's a not a joke."
Mariana rubbed her face "I promise, I'll never talk to him again. I am sorry mommy. I am so sorry"
Lena pushed the computer off her lap and pulled Mariana into her arms and held her tightly.
Callie was still buried in Stef. Her mind reliving the torture she went through with just Liam. She couldn't imagine being trapped in a life style where that was the reality 24/7. She began to shake as sobs took over her body.
"Oh love, oh baby" Stef rocked her
"All those girls" Callie managed to get out "They have to be so scared, so sick, so broken" She sobbed into Stef's arms "I know baby, I know" Stef began to cry with her. Callie's heart was breaking and it was breaking hers. "There are lots of people dedicated to bring down these guys. To save the girls we can find. I promise baby, we are doing the best we can. This is why mama and I are so serious about this. We need to keep you and Mariana as safe as we can. Charlie was giving you bad feelings for a reason. Mom and I have to go off those feelings. We trust your gut instinct. So should you!"
Callie finally peaked out to glance at Stef as she gave a slight nod. "I am sorry."
"I am sorry we seem hard right now" Lena said reaching out and stroking Callie's hair. "We just love you so much. We want to keep you safe."
Callie nodded as more tears came and she buried herself back into Stef. Just allowing her to rock her and bring her a little bit of comfort