Callie POV

I can't believe our luck, luck is never usually on my side but within two minutes of pulling out of that horrid motel I notice a girl walking out of the local park, a girl that looks very much the same as the girl I saw a few weeks ago. I yell out "Stop!" Stef suddenly breaks "What is it love?", "Look" I point "I think that's Charlie", Stef instantly pulls the car towards the curb and I am quick to jump out. I notice the girl has started to walk a bit faster so she is a bit ahead of us now "Charlie!" I yell, she doesn't respond. Stef is now at my side as we follow behind the girl "Charlie!" I yell again, this time in a calmer voice, I don't want to scare her away. The girl I believe to be Charlie has now stopped walking, she seems to be hesitant to look at us. After a few beats of desperation the girl slowly turns towards Stef and I, the instant I look into her eyes I know for certain that she is Charlie Jacobs, this girl is my baby sister. We are staring into each others eyes when I notice her brow furrows in confusion, "Callie?" Charlie asks in a disbelieving tone. I have no control over my body at this point and I race up to Charlie and wrap my arms around her, I feel her flinch under my embrace. Stepping back I look her over, she has multiple bruises on her face and she has quickly moved her arm and placed it across her stomach. Her face is scrunched up in pain and I know that man has seriously hurt my sister. I can't help the tears that start to well up in my eyes, I wish I could have stopped this from happening. I notice now that Stef has made her way over to us "Hi Charlie" Charlie is looking down at the ground now, she hasn't made any more attempts to communicate or even look in the direction of Stef or I. Stef continues to talk "My name is Stef, i'm Callies Mom" Charlie looks up at me now, she has tears in her eyes but soon gives me a small smile "She's your Mom?" she asks me, "Yeah she is, you can trust her" I smile "Actually I have two Moms" I exclaim. Charlie looks to Stef and then back to me "That's cool, I'm glad you have a family" she pauses "Jude?" "Jude is with us too, he is doing really well" I tell Charlie. She smiles again "That's good" I notice this time that the smile hasn't reached her eyes, rather her eyes are filled with many different emotions. Charlie quickly removes eye contact and looks down again. I reach out to grab Charlies hand, giving it a squeeze "You're okay now, I found you. You're safe".

Charlie POV

I'm looking down at the hand that is currently holding mine, I am so confused, is this a dream? maybe I am high on painkillers? but this seems so real. I look up into the eyes of Callie, my big sister Callie, I have dreamt about this moment so many times in my life. I know this isn't a dream, this is different, this is actually happening. I look to the woman standing next to Callie, I think she said her name was Stef, she seems nice, she is giving me a reassuring smile but I still don't trust her, I struggle to trust anyone these days. Callie and Stef are staring at me, I don't really know what to say, I mean what does this mean? What happens now? My thoughts are cut short as Stef starts to talk "We just talked to Shaun" What? They talked to Shaun? How do they even know about Shaun? "I'm so sorry he hurt you love but i'm going to make sure no one ever hurts you ever again" I look up into Stefs eyes, she looks so sincere, her voice is almost soothing, how is that possible she is a stranger to me. The distrust that I felt for her is slowly fading but I know I can't let it fade completely, it is whenever I start to trust someone that things begin to go badly for me. I move my eyes from Stef to Callie "H..how do you know about Shaun? How are you even here? standing in front of me right now?" Callie begins to tell me the story of how she saw me outside of her work, she than tells me that her Mama is the principal at Anchor Beach Charter School, I feel my mouth go ajar before I stutter out "Wa..wait, your other Mom is Lena?" Callie nods her head in confirmation "You really did get lucky" I can't help but feel a hint of jealously, I wish I was that lucky. Callie almost knows what I had been thinking because she quickly exclaims "We were not always so lucky" She gives a small smile as Stef places a hand on Callie's back, Callie continues "but we will be able to share our stories later, the good and the bad, okay?" I nod my head in response. Stef starts to talk to me again "Charlie, I know you are probably really confused right now and you will have so many thoughts running through your head" She definitely has that right "If you are okay with it, I would love for you to come and stay with Callie, our family and myself tonight? You will have somewhere to sleep and a meal but only if you are okay with it" My stomach rumbles as soon as I think about eating a proper meal, I look over to Callie and she gives me a reassuring smile and a small nod. This is so bizarre, I don't know If I should go or not but if I don't than I will be sleeping under a tree again and eating stale bread, I also don't believe that Callie and Stef are going to let me just walk away, so I reply with a simple "Okay".

Stef POV

I am currently driving back towards our home, I look into my rearview mirror at the two girls, Callie decided to sit in the back with Charlie. I stare at Charlie and I just can't get over the resemblance she has to Callie, I mean Lena had told me they looked alike but this is crazy, Charlie gazes up in my direction and we make eye contact through the mirror, those eyes, the exact same eyes as Callie. Charlie is quick to relinquish eye contact as she moves her eyes to look out of her window. We go over a speed bump in the road and I notice her scrunch up her face in pain, once Charlie gets settled in at home I really need to try look at her injuries, she probably needs to see a doctor but I doubt she will let us take her to see one, not tonight anyway. The car ride is a very silent one, Charlie hasn't said a word since we left the park and I don't want to push her to talk, Callie has opened her mouth a few times but she seems to change her mind about talking each time. As we pull into our driveway I look at the dashboard clock, 2:30pm, good the other kids won't be home for at least an hour, I don't want to overwhelm Charlie. I turn around and look at the two girls in the back seat "We're home", Callie jumps out first and walks around to Charlies side, she must have noticed Charlie flinching in the car too as she holds her hand out to help Charlie climb out of the car door. Charlie seems surprised at first but she is soon to willingly accept Callies help. Once Charlie is out of the car she looks up towards our house "Wow, you have a beautiful home" she exclaims before she goes to grab her duffel bag out of the car "Oh I'll grab that love" picking up the bag I turn to Callie "Why don't you show Charlie around the house sweets" Callie gives me a small nod before she leads Charlie inside. Once I see the girls make their way inside the door and I can no longer see them I lean my back against my car, I let out the sigh that I have been holding in for the past forty minutes, I can't believe we found her. I put my head into my hands as thoughts begin to flood my brain, I need to talk to Lena and find out who Charlie's social worker is, I need to talk to the kids, Jude, Jude doesn't even know we were trying to find Charlie what is he going to say when she is here when he gets home. So many thoughts are rushing through my head it's overwhelming, I push myself off from the car, one step at a time, this will turn out okay, it will all be okay I think to myself as I head towards the house.

Once I make it inside I notice that the girls are not downstairs, Callie must be showing Charlie around upstairs. I walk up the staircase and find them in Callie and Marianas bedroom, leaning on the doorframe I watch as the girls are looking at the photo Callie has on her bedside table. The photo is of the whole family on mine and Lenas wedding day, I smile at the memory, Charlie picks up the photo before she runs her finger over the photo "Jude?" she says as more of a question than a statement "Yeah, that's Jude" Callie replies with a smile "He is so tall now, I mean he was tall to me before but he looks so tall now" Charlie says, I'm glad she feels comfortable talking, after she didn't talk in the car I was worried that that wouldn't be the case. I walk into the room and place Charlie's bag at the foot of Callie's bed "I'm sorry I haven't sorted an area for you to sleep yet love but I promise I will have it sorted for tonight, Okay?" Callie is quick to jump in "You can sleep in my bed! I can take the couch, I mean you really shouldn't be sleeping on the couch in your... in your cond.. because you're.." I notice Callie blush, I know that she was going to bring up Charlies injuries "No.. no it's okay, I really don't want to kick you out of your bed, It's fine I can sleep on the couch" Charlie replies to Callie before looking over to me "Thank you" she smiles. I smile back before I clap my hands together "Okay, now that Charlie has seen the house how about we get ourselves some food, I don't know about you two but I am starving" I know that probably wasn't the correct word to use in front of Charlie as just by looking at her frail figure I can tell she must not have had a proper meal in weeks, she is literally starving, but my comment wasn't met with anger or even sadness, my comment is met with a smirk before Charlie replies "I could totally do with some food".

Charlie POV

I look down at the big sandwich in front of me, I haven't eaten something like this in a long time, maybe even years. I think I am in a state of disbelief because I am yet to start eating even though I can see Callie and Stef have already taken a few bites from theirs. Callie must have noticed that I was in a daze because she reaches over and gives my arm a little squeeze of reassurance, I pick up the sandwich and take a bite, I relish in each chew I take, this is incredible. Within a few minutes it surprises me how full I am, I look down at the sandwich and I have not even eaten half of it yet, not eating must really shrink your appetite. I look up to Stef "Is your sandwich okay?" she asks me "Yes, yes it is delicious, thank you. I'm just full" Stef gives me a worried look in reply but I just ignore it.

After Callie and Stef have finished their sandwiches Stef stands up and starts to grab the three plates, once she reaches for mine I quickly grab the sandwich off the plate, Callie and Stef both turn to look at me "I.. uh.. do you mind if I save this for later?" It surprises me when neither of them question my actions but rather share a look of understanding "Of course love, I will grab you something to wrap it in" Stef heads to the pantry to grab out some cling film. She hands it to me "Thank you" I look down and wrap up the sandwich. I go to stand up to take it to my duffel bag, flinching at my movements, at this I realise that I also really need to take some more painkillers, "Wait for a minute love" I stop and turn to Stef, I'm still surprised by being referred to as love, it makes my heart jump a little each time. I sit back down trying not to flinch again to mask the fact that my stomach is now burning from pain, "Yeah?" "Now that you are here, I'm going to have to talk to your social worker, I know that you probably don't want to talk about this right now but we really have to get this sorted as soon as possible especially as they believe you are still living with Shaun" I knew this conversation was going to come eventually, I just hoped it wouldn't be so soon, they are going to send me to another home. I give Steph a nod "Tim Hamilton from Foster to Forever" "Thanks" Stef gives me a smile before she hold my hand in hers, this is the first time Stef has made physical contact with me and it feels.. it feels nice. She gives my hand a squeeze "I will track down his number and give him a call" I nod before I look down at the hand holding mine, the reassuring gesture makes me feel comfortable in what I am about to ask "Can I meet Jude before I go?". Both Stef and Callie seems taken aback by my comment but Callie is the one to quickly reply "Go, you're not going anywhere? Right Mom?" Callie looks to Stef for clarification, at this I look to Stef too "No, you're not going, definitely not tonight, however.." oh there is always a however, I knew it couldn't be as good as I hoped this situation would be "we don't know exactly what is going to happen but for now I'm going to call your social worker and let them know you are with us, we still have a current foster license so that should be okay on their end" I nod in Stefs direction "They will ask me how you ended up here with Lena and I, so for that I need to know exactly what happened in Shauns house. Do you think you can do that?" I'm a bit shocked at what Stef has just asked of me, I don't ever share my foster experiences with other people; as when I have in the past it is usually met with me being told I am a lier and then getting shipped off to a new home. Will Stef even believe me, I mean I do have the injuries to back it up but that doesn't always help with my case. I decide that Stef is definitely different then the others though so I give her a nod "I will tell you".

Here it is another chapter, hope you enjoy it. So I have kind of figured out how the next few chapters are going to go but I wanted to ask if people would be interested in the story being carried on further once we learn about Charlies past and what will happen with Charlie and the fosters, will she stay or go? If I carry on with the story I might bring people in from Charlies past (effecting not only Charlie but the rest of the fosters clan too) which could entail a bit of drama/angst. Let me know if you want me to continue past the initial story I had planned.