Adjusting
Spoilers: All Seasons
Disclaimer: I only own a few of the Cortexiphan kids and Callie in this fic...nothing else unfortunately. JJ Abrams owns the rest.
Callie was talking in group when Dr. Mitchell spoke. "Olivia, it's nice to see you...are you here for Callie?"
The blond sat down, "no actually, I thought I'd join today. It's been a while since I came to group."
Callie got up and went to Olivia, sit with you?
"Go back to your own chair and sit down, you were fine before I came." She smiled and turned Callie gently, prompting her to return to her seat.
"We were just discussing the pain we felt being experimented on and overcoming it. Olivia you are a perfect example...are you up for sharing what happened during your crossing?"
Olivia looked at Callie and smiled before speaking. "I crossed to the other side to get Peter because he was tricked into going. While there I was captured by that side's Walter Bishop and hurt in many ways before they made me forget who I was."
"But here you are, how did you remember?"
"I remembered that someone loved me and I loved them very much too. I remembered that not everything in my life was bad and that getting home was important."
Mitchell nodded, "we can draw from Olivia's experience just like we draw from everyone." She looked at Olivia, "may I..."
"Go ahead."
"Olivia found someone who cares about her, a family...working on finding a reason to be ourselves is something we need to do. Also she learned that while Dr. Bishop's actions were horrible...there are much more evil creatures out there. We need to remember that our experimenters were hurt just like us, what they did was horrible but finding out why gives you both closure. Olivia did you find out why he did these things...how he was hurt?"
"His son was brought to another universe and in the end chose this side instead of staying there."
He hurt me because he was trying to save people, his baby died so he hurt me to help people. Callie looked up as everyone looked at her, she'd made a major breakthrough by sharing without being prompted to do so.
Mitchell smiled, "everyone I think we can all agree that Callie has earned herself another sticker...you did a good job sharing today."
She smiled and looked at Olivia, who nodded that she had done well.
"Now Callie has a big job tomorrow, she has to face her experimenter in court...something most of you will never get to do. I think we need to give her some positive advice about confronting him."
Richard, the hydrokinetic, looked at her with a smile. "Don't be scared, he'll want you to be like you were...you have to show him that you're better than him."
"And do what he never expects," Colleen, another subject eyed her. "Say you're sorry for his pain...telling him that will make him see you are human too."
Advice went around and finally Callie looked at Olivia, waiting for her motherly advice. "It's okay to be scared but don't let your fear control you. Going in there and confronting him...that's the best thing you can do and one day you'll be glad you did."
I forgive him for hurting me but I will always hate him. He was just so sad and angry he didn't care anymore...he was my daddy!
Callie busted into tears and ran to Olivia, the agent held her and kissed her head. It was another breakthrough and Olivia was near tears for seeing Callie in pain but it was for the best.
"Callie," she turned to see Colleen looking at her. "He was your father, there's a difference between a father and a daddy. Daddies love and take care of you, they protect you till you get angry at them for doing so...but a father is just who you come from. He wasn't your daddy, one day you'll have a daddy who will love you and protect you...but that isn't who hurt you."
Olivia smiled, "she's right baby girl."
They headed back to Boston after group as that was where they were spending the night before driving four hours to DC the next morning. Olivia saw Callie playing on her tablet, a solumn look on her face. She worried about the next day even though they had visited DC to practice testimony a week before.
"Baby girl?" Callie met her eyes in the mirror, she gave a small smile. "How about ice cream before we go see Sam?"
Yes please!
"We have to pick up Peter from our work okay. Do you want to see where we work?"
She nodded furiously and Olivia smiled, knowing that if Callie saw Science Division that she'd know she was safe.
Arriving at the Federal Building, Callie gasped at it's massive size. She held tight to Olivia's hand as they entered, going through security and in the elevator.
"Press the 12 button." The door closed but before it did, an agent slipped in. "What floor?"
"Oh, 12...Science Division." The agent looked up, "Agent Dunham?" Olivia looked at her. "Amy Jessup, I worked with Peter Bishop after your car accident."
Callie pulled on Olivia's blazer, she looked down and Callie pointed to the panel. "Just 12."
"Cute kid, what's your name?"
Callie hid behind Olivia after pressing the button. She chuckled and smoothed down her hair, "tell her your name, Amy is a friend."
She signed her name and Amy smiled, "I don't know sign language."
"It's Callie." The door opened and they walked out. Callie smiled and looked around, immediately she saw Peter talking to another agent and let go of Olivia's hand.
Running to him, she hugged him and he turned. "Hey there sugar bear." He picked her up and Callie giggled as he kissed her cheek. "Where's Olivia?"
Callie pointed before launching into how they were getting ice cream. Peter chuckled and kissed her head before setting her at his desk. Pulling up Paint, he left Callie to play.
"Stay here."
Peter found Olivia talking with Amy, "no you're welcome to join, I'll let Broyles know."
"Hey," Olivia turned at seeing Peter, "since when is it a good idea to let Callie run wild?"
"It's a federal building, there's not much she can do." Olivia folded her arms, "why, are you questioning my parenting skills?"
Peter saw her glare and chuckled, "I wouldn't dare...Sweetheart."
"Call me Sweetheart one more time...I'd really like that."
"Hey Bishop, your kid just dumped your coffee everywhere." Mark Hudson was the comedian of the Science Division.
Callie walked over with Peter's empty cup and a wet shirt. She signed that she was sorry but also signed 'Daddy' which made both Peter and Olivia take an intake of breath. Looking down, she shuffled her feet in expectance of a repremand.
"Hey," Peter bent down next to her and took the cup. "Callie look at me." She looked up at him. "It was an accident, come here."
She moved over and he pulled her into a hug. Peter smoothed her hair down as she hugged him.
"It's okay sweetheart, you did nothing wrong." She pulled back, "how about that ice cream now?"
Callie smiled and nodded, Peter noticed three stickers on her shirt. One was for group attendance and the other two said 'I Shared!' in permanent marker. He chuckled and tapped her stickers.
"I see you shared today...did you do it on your own?" Callie smiled and nodded, pointing to herself. "About yourself, I think a double scoop is in order."
Callie pulled on his hand as he stood and moved towards the elevator. She signed to hurry up and Olivia chuckled.
"We'll go down and wait for Peter, he has to clean up the spilt coffee."
Callie realized something and ran over to Peter, signing that she'd help clean up the mess she made. She hurried over to Peter's desk and waited. "We'll be right down."
A/N: Next Olivia and Peter discuss adoption but also Callie makes a stand against everything she went through.