Callie thought about what she had said to Wyatt and Daphne. About not wanting to be adopted until she was eighteen. When she really thought about it, she was already apart of the family. She knew Stef and Lena loved her just as much as Mariana, Jesus, Brandon, and now Jude. She didn't need a piece of paper to prove that.

Though, still she felt a pang of guilt when bringing this up to them. She could see the hurt and sadness in their eyes that she knew they were trying to hide as they reluctantly agreed with her. They told her that it was all up to her and that they would still love her just as much as before. For a moment, Callie wondered why she was doing this to them. But she reasoned with herself that this was something she had to do. They didn't even know if Robert would be found and she didn't want to get her hopes up for nothing.

It was two days later and Lena and the kids were getting the kitchen ready for dinner time. Mariana and Jude were working on the salad as Brandon, Jesus, and Callie worked on setting the plates and silverware on the table. Lena was just getting the lasagna out of the oven when they heard the front door open.

"I'm home, loves," Stef said as she came into the kitchen.

"Hi mom!" the kids said as they went to hug her.

"Hey," Lena said as she pulled her wife into a hug, after the kids had gone back to what they were doing, and gave her a 'welcome home' kiss.

"It's good to be home and dinner smells good!"

"You're just in time for it too," Lena announced as she cut the lasagna.

Stef walked to the fridge to grab one of her beers and sat down at the kitchen table at her usual spot. "How were your days, babies?"

"Fine, I guess," Mariana was the one to answer. "The dance team is going good." Stef noticed that Mariana didn't seem to be telling the whole truth. She noted the low hanging of Mariana's voice as she had said it. Stef watched as Mariana and Jude placed a helping of salad in each of the seven bowls. She made a mental note to talk to her about it later in a more private place.

Soon, they were all sat around the table in their usual places. Lena at the head of the table with Stef beside her on her left. Callie sat next to her with Jude on her other side. Jesus and Mariana sat across from them, and Brandon took the other end of the table across from Lena. The kitchen erupted with the sounds of silverware hitting plates and the chitchats among them.

It felt as though they hadn't even been eating that long when they heard the doorbell ring.

Jesus was the one to stand, almost immediately after hearing it. It had become a habit of his as he had been having a teammate of his come over after school almost every day of the week now to help him with some classes, though she had already been there that day. Not thinking much of it, everyone resumed eating their dinner. Thinking it was a friend of someones. But when Jesus returned to the kitchen, his eyes full of concern, it only took for his words to send everyone out of their seats. A social worker was at the door.

Hearts tight in their chests, Stef and Lena walked to the front door, their five children behind them. They met an asian woman, who was about Lena's height, who was dressed in a professional manner.

"Hi, I'm Stef," Stef extended her hand out to greet her.

"And I'm Lena," Lena shook her hand as well.

"Hi, I am Alaine with child services," Alaine said as she shook Lena's hand.

"What can we do for you?"

"It has come to our attention that your license to foster has expired," Alaine told them.

Stef and Lena looked at each other. "We weren't informed about it," Stef said.

"We understand that you try to formalize Callie and Jude's adoption, and that Callie's didn't go through?"

"Yes, but we were trying to get that resolved," Lena said as she felt her heart quickening.

Alaine looked at them, apologetic. She hated this part about her job, but knew she had to do it. "I'm sorry, but with you not having a license to foster and with Callie's adoption not going through, I'm afraid I'm going to have to remove Callie from the home."

The room had gone completely silent. The kids, who stood in the door way leading to the living room from the kitchen, looked to Callie, who had her hands protectively on Jude's shoulders. She ignored their looks as she stared at the social worker just several feet away from her. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she squeezed Jude's shoulders. She let go and walked towards the stairs and up to her room to pack her things, ignoring the looks of sadness from Stef and Lena.

Callie knew this routine. She had done it for six years in a row, and seven times counting now. When you are a foster child, you are bound to move around a lot. Going from one family to the other as if you were a useless dog. You were a stranger coming to stay in someone's home. Someone you didn't even know. Callie wondered if this would be like every other time. If she was going to be moved around even more now.

She shoved the handful of clothes she had brought with her when coming to stay with the Fosters into her duffle bag.

"This isn't fair!" Mariana proclaimed with her arms folded against her chest. She stood beside her bed as she watched Callie, the person she considered a sister, pack her things. "They can't just do this!"

"They actually can," Callie said, zipping the bag up. She didn't mean it in a mean way, but just to say that when you belong to the state, they yank you from homes because they have the right to.

Just as she was about to throw her bag over her shoulder, Stef came into the room.

"Love, I am so sorry about this. I promise you, I am going to go talk to the judge and you will be back in your bed tomorrow."

Callie only nodded as they walked back downstairs.

"Ready?" Alaine asked when she saw Callie approaching.

Callie turned to say her goodbyes, but noticed that Jude was missing from the room. "Where's Jude?" she asked, looking around.

"He was just here a minute ago," Lena spoke.

Just then, they heard steps coming down the stairs. Jude appeared with his backpack on his back.

"Jude, what are you doing?" Lena asked, curiously.

"If Callie's going, then I am too."

"Jude I'm sorry, but you can't," Stef said softly, her heart breaking for him.

Watching his face fall, Callie placed her hand on his shoulder. "Hey, don't worry about me. You have a family now, and I'll be back soon," Callie told him with sincere. They had always been a pack. They always stuck together and she knew her being taken from the home was going to hurt him. "I'll be back in time to hear your essay," she promised. She felt better when Jude looked at her with a small smile, one that didn't reach his eyes, but still a smile. She sadly let go of his shoulder and turned to the door, where the social worker was waiting for her. She hugged Stef and Lena, who promised her they would get her back, before she stepped out the door.


It was nearly an hour later when a placement was found for her. With a woman in just the next town. Her name was Helen, a widowed woman who had decided to foster in her retired days. She watched as Callie pushed her pasta around her plate. She had tried making small talk, wanting to get to know her, but Callie only answered with short answers. Helen understood. It always broke her heart with some of the kids she got. The backstories they brought with them were often times heartbreaking.

She watched Callie for a little longer, before asking, "Not hungry?"

Callie looked at her and shrugged.

"I understand. It's not that good any way," Helen admitted. "How many homes have you been in, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Seven if you count this one."

"Wow," Helen said. "I'm sorry, I know it's got to be tough." A dinging noise filled the room and Helen began to move from her spot. "Sounds like the cookies are finished."

Callie watched her move. She continued to move the pasta around, not having taken one single bite. Though she was cut short from her dinner at the Fosters, she wasn't hungry at all. Instead, she felt sick. The whole evening was coming back to her. How she was just ripped from their home. Her home, she called it, but now she wasn't so sure.

She recalled what Alaine had told Stef and Lena. About their fostering license expiring and them being shocked when told about it. She wondered why they didn't renew it and how they didn't even know about it expiring. Was it because of her? She shook her head. She was thinking nonsense now. She knew Stef and Lena loved her very much and that if they did know about it, they would have renewed it.

Helen came back over, a plate with three chocolate chip cookies in her hands. She placed the plate on the table, removing the one with the pasta. Not wanting to seem rude, Callie picked at one of the cookies and brought it up to her mouth, nibbling on it quietly.

"It's okay if you don't eat these either. I can save them for tomorrow," Helen said watching her. "Well it's getting late. How about we go ahead and get ready for bed."

After getting her teeth brushed and pajamas put on, Callie sat down on the side of the bed in the room Helen had for her. She didn't feel like laying down, because she wasn't so sure she could sleep. She looked at her duffle bag, which wasn't even unpacked yet, when Helen appeared at the door.

"Ready for bed?" she asked and Callie nodded. "Good. Well, since you're a flight risk, I have to put some restraints here."

Callie then noticed the keys in her hands.

"I've never had anyone go crazy on me, and I'm not going to start now. I'm a light sleeper, so if you need anything, just bang on the wall."

Callie's eyes widened as Helen closed the door and she heard the click of the lock as she was locked in. Suddenly this room felt like a cell. As if she were back in juvie.