Author's Note: I have no excuse for not updating. Other than pure laziness. I'm sorry. Please don't throw rotten food stuffs at me! It will be slow going updating for a short while. But I WILL be updating.

Anytime You Need a Friend:

Chapter 36

A couple weeks later, Amelia was back in school. She had a really bad respiratory infection that kept her in the hospital for a week. Callie rarely left her side. When she was released from the hospital, she was stuck at home for another week. Callie hadn't wanted to leave her but she had school. Spike stayed with her when he could, and His parents helped as well. Callie was glad that the Winter break started that day.

When she was done with School that day, She had decided before even leaving the parking lot, to stop at the local Panera's coffee shop and get something to eat and drink. She also wanted to see about an application. She wanted to get a job, even though she knew that would spread her too thin with her other responsibilities. She didn't have as much time to herself as she used to, but she needed something.

She had scaled way back on her after school activities after bringing Amelia home. She had kept the Martial arts Club at School for awhile, before transfering to a private dojo to continue her training. She often felt as if she were years, decades ahead of her classmates. But that only strengthened her resolve to keep training and finding other ways and opportunities to provide a better life for Amelia and herself.

She drove over to the Station after getting the stuff to go, knowing that Amelia had at least a couple 3 hours left in her day. She wanted to see what Everyone was up to, and also to see if there was something she could do or pick up for the station Christmas Party. It was coming up in just a couple days. The teams families were invited as well as the guys. When she got there, The trucks were gone.

That meant that the team either had a call, or they were on patrol. She mentally prayed that they all came home safely and walked in, She decided to stop and visit with Winnie, if there was a chance that they were on patrol and not on a call. She missed talking to Winnie. They had had alot of chats earlier on when she first started hanging around Spike about alot of things. That's how she had come to know alot about Spike

"Hey Winnie! How are you doing today? You got your hair cut. It looks nice! How's the shift going so far?" Winnie acknowledged her with a shake of the head, indicating that she was working on something important. She waited a moment, thinking that it was minor, Winnie shoved a peice of paper at her, with the words, 'Hot Call' scribbled on it. Callie nodded and waved bye, leaving without another word.

She decided to go to the park across from the preschool, and do some reading while waiting for Amelia. It wasn't really too cold yet. She knew that she had at least a week before it got really brutal out. It was december and she was still in a hoodie and hat. It had been a mild autumn so far. She had a test in a couple days, she wanted to review the material. She didn't think that she needed to, it was an easy class.

While sitting there, her phone rang. She picked it up without looking at the ID that came up. She figured that it could be Spike calling to see what she had wanted since she had stopped at the station, so in her thinking, there was no reason to look. She also entertained the brief thought that it could be the school calling about Amelia. She should have looked first. She put a marker in her book as she answered the phone.

"Hello, it's your dime, so talk to me. I am all ears. Unless you are a bill collector, In which case you have reached a wrong number. Pick your poison." She quipped. The voice that answered her was not her father's. Now Callie was really wishing that she would have looked at the caller ID first before answering her phone. She mentally cursed her stupidity while debating whether to hang up.

"Hi honey. How are you? How was School today? How's Clark? I dropped by the school today to see you, but the office wouldn't let me in. I don't understand why. I'm your father. You should really switch schools." She sat straight up and looked around to see if he was nearby. She didn't see him, but that didn't mean he was not hiding somewhere nearby waiting to pounce on her again.

"You should not be calling me Sanchez. How did you get this number? I changed it after the last time we crossed paths. You're not my father, you are a sorry excuse for a peice of shit." She heard him laugh. It made her skin crawl. She would never forget that laugh for as long as she lived. Not even after he died. She packed up her books into her bag quickly intending to get in the Truck and head back to the station.

"I'm your father. It would seem to make sense for me to have my daughter's number. The guy at the phone company was very helpful. He was also very sympathetic to my plight. He looked up your number for me, as well as that asshole that took you from me." Callie had gotten in the car, locked herself in and started driving back to the Station. She would stay there and call the school to keep Callie, or have a police officer pick her up.

"You are not my father. You are just someone that adopted me when I was a baby, so you could have a kid. While I am glad that I didn't have to stay in some stupid group home, I wish the people at the agency had known what pigs you and your wife are. They would have prevented you from adopting me or any other kids. Now, what the hell do you want." She asked flatly, feinging interest. He got nasty with her.

"I want my other daughter. I am most definitely her father. She belongs with me. Not with her little whore of a mother. You know actually you could have prevented her from being born. I want to see her from more than a distance of 500 feet. I have a right to know her as well." Callie pulled the truck to a stop and hurried into the station. She saw the trucks were back. She flagged down Ed, who was the only person she saw besides Winnie.

"I'm sorry. She's not your daughter. Rapists have no rights to children. The school knows about you Sanchez, They know about the restraining order and know that you are not allowed near her. Do you really think that they will let you near my daughter?" Ed quickly wrote stuff down and went to gather the rest of the team. Callie kept her cool, putting him on Speaker, so everyone could hear what he was saying.

"Yes well, You would have to prove that I actually raped you and that it wasn't consensual for the police to actually get off their doughnut eating asses and actually do something. But then you can't prove that, and I have a whole list of people who would testify on my behalf that you fucked them willingly. So don't play that fucking game with me." His voice changed slightly, Callie almost didn't pick up on it.

"She's beautiful. I especially love the yellow sweater that she's wearing. I can see that you don't put her hair up in pigtails either. I like her hair down. Her hair is getting long as well." Ed walked out of the room for several minutes. Spike held her hand tightly, as she tried hard not to lash out at him. Ed came back a few minutes later and wrote something on a peice of paper. He held it up so Callie could read it.

'I Called the School. Told them Sanchez was sniffing around and could see Amelia. They are going to take the kids inside and keep Amelia until one of us shows up with you. Cops are going to patrol the area.' Callie nodded and blew him a kiss. Ed nodded and continued to listen silently. Callie rolled her eyes at the phone and looked up at Spike, while making a rude gesture and rolling her eyes again.

"Well. The fact remains. She's my daughter. You aren't going to lay one hand on her. You will not get to know her. I tire of this phone call. I am hanging up on your stupid ass now. Do not call me again. We have nothing more to say to each other. I will keep changing my number if I have to. Idiot." Callie disconnected the call and dropped the phone on the table. No one spoke. She took a deep breath.

"I'm not going early to pick her up. She doesn't need her routine disrupted. She really likes School and half the time, she doesn't even want to come home with me when it IS time to go. Sam, if there is no hot call, will you go with me? Amelia has been asking for you. Apparently you are her new favorite person. I think she just likes you for your cat." Sam nodded. Callie sat down and looked at Spike.

"SO! Other than a random phone call from a complete jackass, how was YOUR day dad?" She asked him sarcastically before laughing. They chatted for a few minutes. Callie decided to hang around the station until she left to pick up Amelia. She had every reason to believe that she was safe. The school had good security. She was pulled from her thoughts and musings when her phone rang again.

"Hello? This is Callie. May I ask who's calling please." She sounded very wary. No one could really blame her. Spike put some sweet and sour chicken and Lo Mein on a plate for Callie, who absently picked up a peice of chicken and nibbled it after dipping it in the sauce. Spike rubbed her shoulders softly, while she relaxed against him. She patted his hand while smiling at him briefly.

"Ms. Scarlatti? This is Mrs. Adams, Amelia's teacher. She is very upset and crying for you to come get her. She's making herself upset to the point that she's in the nurse's office and throwing up. She's begging to go home. Would you be able to pick her up early today? I don't think she's going to calm down. She is scared because of the man that Ed Lane called about. She saw him." Callie closed her eyes.

"Yeah. I will be right there. I will have an officer with me. Be there in about 10 minutes. Thank you for calling me. Tell Amelia to lay there and rest." She hung up and grabbed her purse and keys. She motioned to Sam, who nodded and followed her out. He climbed in the passenger seat and belted in waiting for her to start the truck. She put the truck in gear and pulled out of the parking lot.

At first, she was silent while driving. Suddenly, she pounded the steering wheel in frustration. Sam just looked at her out of the corner of his eye, not saying anything at first. He knew why she was upset. She didn't need him to say it out loud. That was like asking what a bread box was. Callie sighed and took a sip of her coffee, before grimacing at the cold taste. She tapped the wheel a moment.

"I don't care if he terrifies me. I can handle it. He crossed a line by terrifying my daughter. Honestly, for the very first time in my life, I think I am actually capable of murder." Sam looked at her a moment without saying a word. He knew that she wouldn't kill Sanchez, but she like, everyone had their breaking point. He patted her hand. Callie drove down the road silently, The school was only about 15 minutes from the stations.

When they got there, Sam walked with Callie into the school. Sam had left his gear in the truck so as not to scare anyone unecessarily, only wearing his sidearm. Callie stopped in the front office to let them know she was there and why. The secretary nodded sympathetically and raised an eyebrow in admiration at Sam, who seemed completely oblivious to her curiousity. She tore her eyes away from Sam to slide a clipboard over to Callie.

"Poor thing has been in there just crying away. Talking about how she doesn't want to go with anyone. How no one can make her. How she will not be moved. She started to calm down a little bit when the nurse told her that you were on your way. She said that she wants to go see Pita, uncles Bald, Sammy, Kevin, Greg and Aunt Ju. Which one are you Sir?" Sam finally looked over at her and smiled. He held out his hand.

"I would be Uncle Sammy. Sam Braddock. Police Strategic Response Unit. It's a pleasure to meet you. So what can you tell me about the intruder? I understand that you were outside when he was spotted." The Secretary smiled and made small talk with him while Callie walked into the nurses office to see Amelia sitting there coloring quietly. She looked up and jumped into Callie's waiting arms. She hugged her and wiggled to get down.

"Mommy! I can walk!" She nodded and held her hand as they walked back to Sam. She saw Sam and ook off, launching herself at him. He held out his arms and caught her without looking away from the Secretary. She kissed his cheek and laid her cheek on his shoulder before sighing. All was right once more in her little world. Her mommy was here, Uncle Sammy was here. That bad man was gone. That reminded her.

"Uncle Sammy? That man gave me something. He said I had to give it to Mommy." Sammy set her down and knelt in front of her. She held out an envelope with something scrawled on it. Sam put a pair of gloves on and took it from her before placing it in a plastic bag he had in his pocket. He smiled at her and praised her. He would give it to Greg to take care of. After he put it away, he looked at Amelia.

"Well how about we get you back to the station? There are alot of people that would like to see you, and I think that uncle Greg would like to ask you a question. Is that alright with you miss Amelia?" Amelia nodded and jumped up and down chanting 'Pita' over and over. Sam rolled his eyes and joined Callie at the doorway and walked out to the truck, chattering with Amelia about his cat, and when she could see him again.