Chapter 19

Callie could not stay still even if she wanted to. The doctors have been with Jude for almost an hour and she felt useless. She also was trying to prepare herself for the inevitable. She knew that any moment social services would be coming to take her away. But she wants to make sure that he is ok, before she runs off. Even if she doesn't get to see him, she just wants to know that he will be ok.

"Callie, sweetie you should try to sit down. It may ease your nerves" Stef has been trying to get her too take a breather the whole time. But she kept pacing with the same guilty look on her face.

Stef turned to Lena who was sitting in a chair trying not to put too much stress on her leg. Not knowing what else she should do or say. She hasn't had much experience with kids Callie's age. "Honey, I know you're probably tired. Just take a moment and sit," Lena tried, "Even for a couple minutes. It will help you relax a bit".

Callie stopped walking and looked from Stef to Lena. It wasn't that she didn't like Stef, she just could connect to her. She was a cop that made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with her. But there was something about Lena. That day they met, Lena reminded her of her mother in a way. But at the same time made he realize that she wasn't alone; that bad things happen to everyone, even to the nicest people.

She moved to the chair next to Lena and the moment she did, Lena lights pat her knee and smiled. It took Callie a couple minutes but finally she settled back into the chair and relax. That was short lived as the doctor walked out and Callie was the first one to jump to her feet.

"How is he? Is he ok?" Callie didn't want to wait any longer, she needed exact answers. "Yes, your brother will be just fine. He had a bad case of pneumonia. We were able to stabilize his temperature and gave him some antibiotics".

"So he's alright now?" Callie said fighting hard to hold back tears with a sigh of relief.

"Yes he is. He is a bit tired but he hasn't stopped asking for you. You can see him if you like. We want him here for a little while longer to just to double check. But for now he's ok for visitors before he heads home".

Callie didn't waste anytime running to his room with Lena and Stef behind her. Callie walked up to her sleeping brother and climbed in the hospital bed laying right next to him. "Jude?" Callie lightly moved some of his hair back as he weakly began to wake up. "Cal?"

Callie finally let a few tears roll down her face as she smiled. "Yeah bud. You're ok now. Lena and Stef got you here. The doctors made you better". Jude looked past Callie and finally noticed that Stef and Lena were there too. He lift his hand to wave at them as they smiled and waved back, not wanting to interrupt Callie.

"Listen, bud. I am so sorry" Callie tried to whisper, " But no matter where they place you I will find you. I don't know maybe they will put me in juvie or just a group home. But I will come look for you no matter what".

Stef and Lena walked up to her as Lena sat at the end of the bed looking at her and Stef lightly touched her shoulder. "Cals, what do you mean?"

"I hit Allen and we ran away. I don't have anymore strikes left. I know they are going to separate us. We saw the cops searching." Callie said looking down at the blanket covering her brother. "Oh Callie. No one is going to separate you two. We went to get you out of Allen's care and we found him. We saw the blood Callie. He's in jail. And when we couldn't find you guys at school we had a search party looking for you. All we wanted was for you to be safe".

"What do you mean?"

"Callie, I had to report that I thought you were in danger. We couldn't go on knowing that someone was hurting you two. So we are going to foster you both," Lena said.

"Why?" Callie's voice shook. Not allowing herself to believe that someone actually cared about them.

"Because you two deserve better lives" Stef said.

…

"Ok guys, here's the inside". Stef walked in first with Jude on her back. "Where's Mariana?" He asked glancing around. "We sent her to stay with her friend Emma".

Lena walked in beside Callie who has yet to speak sense leaving the hospital. She couldn't tell if she was ok with them being fostered or not.

"So down here there's uh the living room, dining room, bathroom, kitchen. Help yourself to whatever is in there. Up here are the rooms. Honey you can go first," Stef said to Lena. Just incase she tripped with the cane Stef wanted to be behind her incase she fell.

Lena began to go up the stairs trying to figure out how to juggle the cane and grip the railing. Callie ran up to her and grabbed the cane from her and gripped her hand. "If you squeeze my hand when you use that leg it wont hurt as much". Lena was shocked by her actions and almost forgot her task at hand. "Callie you don't have to help".

"I know. Ok, so whenever you are ready. I'll step with you". Callie locked their hands as she watched Lena step slowly up the stairs.

Once they reached the top Stef and Lena showed them their separate rooms. Jude and Callie gave each other a look, not ok with being separated but not wanting to upset them either. Stef told them the shower and get into their PJs that were in their rooms and she would make something for them to eat before bed.

Callie quickly showered first and got dressed. As Jude showered she sat in the hallway outside of the door as she always did. Stef came up the stairs to see how they were doing and was startled when she saw Callie sitting on the floor. She quickly stood to her feet and her face turned to one that she very well recognized. Callie's face showed no weakness, no fear, just that of a protector.

"Sorry. I was just seeing how you two were doing and if you needed help with anything".

"We are fine. Thank you".

"Cals, I understand that you don't know us very well. I know that you have been in some very bad homes and trust is something that we have to earn. I know that it make take a while, but I am very patient Cals and I will wait for as long as I have to".

Stef goes back down stairs and Callie exhales as she hears the shower turn off.

…

"Ok honey, I love you too. We will see you in the morning. And get some sleep, I don't think Emma's parents would want you on the phone this late".

Stef came down to the kitchen to take out the plates as Lena got off the phone with Mariana.

"Mariana?"

"Yes. She was just very concerned about Callie and Jude. How are they up there?"

"Callie is guarding the door while he's showering. She doesn't trust me".

"She has to trust you to some point. She came here and let you carry Jude".

"Maybe she felt like she didn't have many options".

"It's going to take time for them to trust us. They've been through a lot".

"Callie trusts you. She listens to you and speaks to you. She would rather stand by you than me and even held your hand."

"Honey, I think it's because in a way she sees me as being broken like her. We had a hard past. It's going to just take time".

Before Stef could reply the kids came down and stood at the end of the table. Not sure what to do. Jude tightly gripped Callie's shirt as he looked between Stef and Lena.

"Hey guys. You two can sit anywhere".

Jude looked up at Callie as she gently nodded her head. He let go of her shirt and ran over to the seat next to Stef and Callie by Lena.

"You guys can just dig in and take as much as you like", Lena said passing them the food.

Callie made sure Jude had some of everything before she put anything on her own plate. Once her plate was filled Jude watched her take the first bite. When she nodded her head he began to dig in, knowing that it was ok to eat it.

Stef and Lena gave each other a pained look, scared to know that path these kids had to travel.