Chapter 10

Stef and Callie both exited the elevator to the second floor of the hotel. The older woman had been carrying her own bag along with one of Callie's, even though the teen hadn't noticed that one of the bags didn't belong to her. The cop hadn't exactly decided how was the best way to reveal the bad news to her daughter Callie walked slowly behind Stef and examined the vicinity which was a bit fancier than what she was used to.

How was she going to pay for this? she thought to herself as she tried to remember how much money she had in her own bag.

Immediately, she started to feel the stress beginning to overwhelm her. She still had to pay Tommy back, so spending money at this place was the very last thing she should be doing.

"Three-sixteen, three-sixteen," Stef repeated as she walked down the hallway and glanced at all of the doors. "Well, that's three- twelve," she said to herself as she stared down the hallway in confusion and didn't notice anymore rooms in that direction. "And we're going the wrong way," she continued before she turned around and went in the other direction and pointed Callie in the other way. "C'mon, I think it's over here."

Callie sighed heavily as every second that went by at this hotel just brought her more and more anxiety.

Stef smiled slightly, "C'mon, now. We weren't that far off," she tried to joke. "Just a few more steps."

"It's not that," Callie mumbled and she was almost positive the cop hadn't heard her.

"Here we go," the blonde said as she came to a stop in front of Room 316. The girl stood in back of her and couldn't remember a time that felt more awkward in her life. She watched carefully as Stef finally got the door open and pushed it all the way. She tilted her head as she glanced at the room in a bit of disgust. "Not exactly a suite at the Sheraton but it'll do," the woman reasoned before making her way inside and holding the door for Callie to come in.

The blonde stared at her daughter carefully and could sense that Callie seemed very uncomfortable about all of this by the utter silence that came from her. "Are you going to stay out there all night?" Stef teased in an effort to ease the tension in the room.

Callie looked Stef in the eyes as she tried to find the right words to say.

"Stef… uh, I can't afford this."

Stef responded with a sad smile. "I kinda know that, sweets."

"No," Callie corrected. "I mean, I don't need this. That's what I meant to say… My other place was fine."

"You're not staying at that other place," Stef responded in a serious tone before moving her gaze toward the door and closing it behind her daughter somewhat quickly. It was as if the blonde were afraid Callie would try to run if she left it open for too long. She knew that she needed to be able to trust Callie eventually. But now still felt like too soon for Stef to make that leap just yet.

"Why not?" Callie protested.

Stef let out an exaggerated breath and moved her gaze back toward the teen. She hated how difficult everything had to be with her daughter. She couldn't remember her always being this way. It was like she was getting worse and wanted to be more and more independent as she was getting older, which would have been understanding had she not been making the wrong decisions over and over again.

"Because," Stef began and then paused as she tried to think of a way to explain without making Callie feel like a child, because she knew it would just make Callie even more defensive. "...Because I don't think it's a good idea."

"But I do," Callie bit back. "I can't afford this place and I don't want you to pay for it," Callie continued to stare at her as she held onto her bag over her shoulder, not expecting to even put it down onto the floor of the hotel.

"You don't really have another option, Callie. I'm not letting you spend another night at that place when I know you're not safe there."

Callie shook her head in disbelief. "I'm fine, Stef. I told you that, okay? It only happened one time. It's not going to happen again."

"You're damn right it's not going to happen again," Stef answered smartly as she dropped her and Callie's bag onto the sofa.

The girl's eyes finally made their way onto Stef's black duffel bag and she took a second to take in exactly what she thought was suddenly happening. "Stef... What is that?"

Stef scratched her head and began walking over toward the kitchen area to the fridge. "It's my bag," she answered casually as she pulled the refrigerator door open. "Absolutely nothing," she answered herself before closing the door again. She would have to get food and water from the vending machines down stairs, she realized.

"Why is it here?" Callie crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the woman in confusion. She didn't like where this was going and how the blonde was just walking around the room and making herself comfortable, as if she planned on staying.

The cop moved her eyes back toward Callie and she couldn't help but feel and look as if she were a kid in trouble, despite who was actually speaking to her. She opened her mouth to say something but nothing but a sound came out at first. "Callie," she finally said softly.

"No, Stef," Callie interrupted. "I told you I didn't want this," she started to shake her head again and kept her tone and posture stern.

"You wanted to come home with me," Stef reminded her as she took it up another notch. She wasn't the kid here, the cop tried to tell herself.

Callie was.

"So this is how we're doing it," Stef continued.

Callie felt as if she had just been slapped. This woman couldn't really be serious? She kept asking herself.

"Now, I know this is the last thing you had in mind when you agreed to come back, but we're both just going to have to make it work. Lena needs some time to adjust to the idea, and I think it's fair to say that we need to give that to her."

"You're not going to mess up your family because of me," the teen answered in a harsh tone. She didn't mean to come off as harsh but she had to make a point. She didn't come back to literally tear their family apart. "I heard what Lena said. She said it was either her or me. So... you need to just go home to her and your family and to Jude," Callie kept her voice stern.

"It's not..." Stef stopped while she considered how to best respond to that. "Callie, you're not messing anything up."

"No," Callie continued to protest as if she wouldn't let this happen.

"Lena and I talked. And we agreed I would stay here with you for a little while."

"Why would she do that?" she asked Stef sarcastically as if her wife didn't really mean to suggest it. "You have to go home, Stef. I'll be fine. I promise," the teen attempted to assure the woman that she could take care of herself.

"Honey, I'm not asking for your permission," the blonde finally felt the need to let her know. Callie wasn't going to be in control of this no matter what she thought. She obviously didn't have control over much, Stef wanted to say but thought better than to argue about the terrible mess Callie had gotten herself in. "All I'm asking is for you to try."

"I did," the brunette said matter-of-factly.

"Then try harder," Stef suggested to her daughter with more strength in her voice, and she realized she was in fact, losing her patience with the teen. This wasn't the impression she wanted to give her so soon but she was too exhausted to be calm. "Look, sweets..." Stef tried in a softer tone. "We're both tired, okay. I know you're tired so... Can we please just take a breath from all this right now?"

Callie listened to her and didn't really know how to feel about it. She wasn't used to any of this, and that alone ticked her off. But she did agree with her on something. She was too exhausted to keep arguing about this, and they were both too persistent and resilient to give into the other's wishes.

"Why don't we just get some sleep and discuss it in the morning, okay? We're not going to get anything else resolved tonight. You and I both know that this can go on all night and into the morning, so we should just call it quits for today. Okay?"

Callie wanted so badly to argue but she kept thinking about what her mother said.

It really could go on all night and they had been doing this all day already. Her eyelids began to feel heavy as she watched the woman.

Stef grabbed Callie's bag and moved it over toward the bed. "You can shower first," the cop suggested in a soft and relaxed tone as she pushed the girl in the direction of the bathroom. "We'll figure it out later, Callie."

Later seemed so far away but yet so preferable to Callie, she realized before she shut the door behind her...

Next chapter: we'll find out more about Callie's situation with Tommy.