AN: For those who think Mariana is out of character — Season 2, Episode 16, where Mariana tells Stef and Lena "I don't get it. You took Jude and Callie in and … this baby … she's my sister," before storming off. Two episodes later, she is mad because Callie says she is going to go live with Robert, but had no problems throwing Callie under the bus when she said that to the moms. Mariana thinks about Mariana — and I believe her actions are not that out of character for her. She tends to lose her cool and then feel bad about it later. There are other instances — but this is the episode I just happen to be watching while editing this chapter.


By midnight, Lena and Stef had finally gotten the three youngest settled for the night, though it had been no easy feat. Callie had been beyond hard to calm down after finding out she was a year younger than she thought. It hadn't even truly been the fact she was 12 and not 13, though, that made her so angry and so upset.

It had all been because she had thought she'd spent eight years with her mother before she was killed in the car accident, not seven. And despite the fact it changed nothing, in Callie's mind it did.

Stef had gone and put the two youngest to bed while Lena stayed with Callie, who would not get off of the floor, but instead kept her head between her knees and sobbed. It was all getting to be too much for the girl, that much was clear.

"Callie, baby, come sit with Mama," Lena said, trying to sooth her as best she could.

But Callie just kept sobbing, to the point Lena was afraid she was going to hyperventilate if something wasn't done. So she got down on the floor beside Callie and pulled the sobbing child onto her lap. Callie didn't fight it, but she did not stop sobbing either.

Lena began to rock her back and forth, running a hand over her back to calm her. It took more than half an hour for Callie to stop crying, but Lena knew it was from exhaustion more than anything else.

"Callie, love, do you want to talk about any of this?" Lena asked her softly.

Callie only shook her head no. It was all too much for her right now. She couldn't even think straight. And to top it all off, Mariana was mad at her because she was related to Mama. How was that her fault? She didn't ask to be born. She didn't ask for Robert to be Mama's brother.

How had everything happened like this? She didn't ask for a single damn thing that had ever happened to her. She hadn't asked for her mom to die. She hadn't asked for Robert to be her biological father …

Callie turned, throwing her arms around Lena's neck and wrapping her legs around Lena's waist, and sobbed.

She sobbed for a lost year.

She sobbed for being unwanted for so long.

She sobbed for Jude, and she sobbed for herself.

Every emotion Callie had ever felt was coming out in her anguished cries.

Lena, suddenly realizing they were in this for the long haul, wrapped one arm around Callie and used the other to stand up. She was, for once, thankful Callie was so light because it made it much easier for her to stand up while holding the child. She knew better than staying on the floor. If she did that, she'd regret it in the morning.

Once the two were in the closest chair — thankfully a rocking chair, because Lena knew it would be easier to sooth her child if she could rock her back and forth while rubbing her back — Lena tried to calm her crying child. Out of everything Callie had been through lately, Lena would never have thought this would be what upset her the most.

It was then Lena started humming softly in Callie's ear, letting the two just find a sense of calm and wanting nothing more than to take the pain her child felt for herself, so Callie never had to feel the way she felt again.

That was how Stef found them a short time later, but by that time, Callie had fallen asleep, thankfully.

"The little ones are asleep. They wanted to have a "sleepover" in Jude's room after Jesus helped them make a fort under Jude's bed. It's Saturday, so I told them they could as long as they fell asleep quickly. By the time I walked out of the room they were both already asleep," Stef told Lena.

"Jesus and Mariana?" Lena asked.

"Well, Mariana is in her room hiding. I didn't check on her because I know she needs her space for the time being and I wanted to talk to you first. Jesus, however, had no reservations about giving her a piece of his mind. I heard her crying in her room and before I could say anything Jesus told me he had yelled at her. You know our son cannot stand to make someone cry, especially his sisters."

"She wasn't this bad when I was pregnant with Frankie. She seems almost — dejected, Stef."

Stef tried her hardest not to laugh at that. Had her wife lost her mind?

"Lena Elizabeth Adams Foster, Mariana was a terror when we found out Frankie was a girl. An absolute terror. She pouted for weeks because she was afraid we were going to replace her, and why couldn't Frankie be a boy. When Frankie was born Mariana tried to run away because 'Mama has her real baby now.' I had to search for her with Mom and Stuart for an hour. Then I just wanted to shake her when we found her hidden in a closet on the geriatric floor at the hospital because she was scared!"

Lena looked up, her eyes wide. She had honestly forgotten about that.

"I forgot she did that. I mean, Frankie wasn't exactly the world's easiest pregnancy," Lena said quietly, ashamed of herself that she had not remembered how upset and afraid Mariana had been when Frankie had been born.

"Love, she comes into things in her own way and in her own time. You know this," Stef said gently.

Lena nodded, because she did know this. It didn't make it any easier.

"Do you want me to take Callie, Love?" Stef asked. Lena nodded, though she wasn't a hundred percent certain she wanted to let her go right now.

But she needed too.

"Put her in our bed, Please. She slept in your shirt last night, she can again tonight. I am going to go talk to Mariana before I come to bed," Lena said.

Stef nodded, gently taking Callie from her wife.

"She still doesn't weigh enough," Stef said softly.

"I know, Sweetheart. But she is getting there. Slowly but surely. Four pounds is still four pounds."

Stef smiled and nodded, thinking about how Callie had pointed that out just last night.

"Okay, wish me luck," Lena said, standing up and heading up the stairs to her eldest daughter.


Lena walked into Mariana and Callie's room and shut the door behind her. She knew Mariana would be pretending to be asleep, but also knew sleep was the furthest thing from her daughter's mind.

Oh, Mariana was no doubt tired. But she wouldn't be able to sleep until either she or Stef talked to her. It was simply how Mariana was.

"Alright, Miss. Thang, scoot over. We need to talk," Lena said.

"I'm asleep," came the voice hidden underneath a pile of blankets.

Lena rolled her eyes. This child was going to give her more than a few grey hairs.

"Scoot over, Mariana," Lena said in a no nonsense tone.

A deep and frustrated sigh came from underneath the pile of blankets, but Mariana threw the blankets down and then moved to the other side of the bed so Lena could sit beside her.

Lena stayed silent for several moments. Several moments she knew would break Mariana's silence down.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you downstairs," Mariana said quietly, her eyes still closed.

"Oh? Are you?" Lena asked, putting her arm across Mariana's shoulders. Mariana naturally melted into her mama.

"I am sorry I yelled at you and said the things I did. I know I shouldn't have."

"Why did you?" Lena asked, rubbing her hand up and down Mariana's arm.

"I don't know, Mama," Mariana whispered.

"I think you do know, sweetie."

Mariana sighed.

"I don't want you to forget that I am your daughter, too. But now I am your only daughter not related to you by blood. And, Mama, it's so hard … Jesus doesn't care. He acts like he never belonged to anyone else but you and Mom. But, Mama, Ana gave me away then fought you for me because she thought she would get drug money. Then she came back into my life for more drug money and then tossed me aside for Isabella. And then my grandparents also tossed me aside because I wouldn't be baptized as catholic … I don't want you and Mom to toss me aside, too." Mariana said, a small sob escaping her.

Lena immediately pulled her daughter in closer to her, "That will never happen, Mariana Adams Foster. You are just as much mine as Frankie. As much as Callie. As much as Jesus. As much as Jude. You are mine and mom's. No one else's and nothing will ever change that. You are mine to me. You are mom's to her. You are ours to us."

"Are you mad at me for what I said downstairs," Mariana asked with a sniff.

Lena thought for a few moments before looking down at Mariana.

"I am not exactly happy. You know how to convey your feelings without being disrespectful. However, I also realize that this has been a shock to everyone. In the future, though, I expect you to watch how you speak to me and Mom because how you did tonight was not okay. But you knew that already, didn't you?" Lena asked.

Mariana nodded into Lena's shoulder and clung tightly to her mother.

"I am really sorry, Mama. I will tell Callie I am sorry, too. It wasn't fair for me to say those things in front of her."

"It wasn't, but I am willing to bet that Callie understands better than you think she does," Lena said.

Mariana nodded in agreement, knowing that her mama was more than likely right.

"Will you lay with me until I fall asleep, Mama?" Mariana asked so quietly Lena nearly didn't hear her. It had been a long time since Mariana had asked er to lay with her.

"Absolutely, baby."

It wasn't long before both Mariana and Lena were asleep, with Mariana resting more peacefully than she had in quite some time.