A/N: Italics denote a flashback

Stef

I stand still for a minute, just trying to pull myself together. I have a sixteen year old girl I'm responsible for and I don't have the slightest idea where she is. This isn't good, this isn't good at all. I glance at Captain Roberts's door. I know the right thing to do in this situation would be to tell her, but what good will that do? Callie might be taken back to juvie, and that's the last thing I want to happen.

Shit.

Where did she go?

I go back to my desk and sit down. I put my head in my hands and close my eyes so I can just think. Obviously Callie has no interest in being with me or in the system at all. Where would she go? It's not like she has any family…

Oh.

Jude.

Callie

I wish buses didn't have to stop so much. It's going to take a long time to get to San Ysidro as it is without having to stop every couple of minutes. I guess I should just be happy I have a way to get there and that I'll be with my brother.

My mind wanders to Stef and I shake my head to clear it. She doesn't matter. She'll probably have me tossed back into juvie after she finds out I stole from her, but that doesn't matter. Just as long as Jude is safe. This has been my goal ever since we entered the system. As long as he's safe, that's all that matters.

Stupid baby.

Mommy is singing MY song to Jude in MY chair. Having a little brother was supposed to be fun, but all he does is poop and cry and sleep. He's so boring, and Mommy is around him all the time.

"CJ, do you want to hold your brother?"

I shake my head.

"Are you sure?"

I stand up from my seat on the floor and push my hair back with both my hands, "I'm sure." I leave Jude's room and go to my own. I crawl into my bed and pull the blankets over my head. My throat starts to hurt and my eyes begin to sting. Mommy is always too tired to play with me or busy with Jude. It's not fair. She was mine first!

Stupid baby.

I hear my door open and some footsteps. My bed makes a noise and I feel someone tapping me.

"Callie…"

It's my mom. Maybe if I'm quiet and don't move, she'll think I'm not here. My blankets move and suddenly she's underneath the covers with me. I try to move away but she holds me tight and kisses the back of my neck.

"What's the matter with my Callie girl?" she asks and she begins to play with my hair, "You've been pretty quiet today."

There are so many tears in my eyes that they begin to fall before I can stop them. As soon as I start, I can't stop and I just cry and cry. Mommy turns me around in her arms so that I can put my ear over heart. She rubs my back and whispers into my ear.

"I hate to see you cry," she says, "Why are you so sad?"

"Because Jude is stupid!" I wail, hiding my face in her shirt.

I feel her get kind of still for a moment, "What?"

"You're always with him and you never play with me and he's loud and sleeps all the time and he cries too much, Mommy―"

I hear her begin to laugh and I get mad. I try to get away but she's really strong. She pushes my head back and touches her forehead to mine, "I love you so much, Callie. My special girl. Jude is just a baby, CJ. He can't do a lot right now. He needs me so much because he can't walk or talk yet. I know it's hard now but I promise it will get better."

I sigh, "But he's still here and we can't play together because he'll have to play with us too."

Mommy smiles and puts a hand on my cheek, "We'll still have our special time, I promise. I'm sorry I've been so busy lately. Jude is sleeping right now and I was going to start dinner. Would you like to be my special helper?"

I can't help but smile and I shake my head yes and hug my Mommy tight.

"Callie Quinn, Jude is your little brother and you're his big sister. You have to look out for him because he's your only brother in the entire world. You have to show him what's good and what's bad and keep him safe. No matter what happens, you two will have each other. Can you do that for me? Can you look out for him?"

This is important because Mommy used both my names, "I can look out for him, because he's my brother."

Mommy smiles and kisses me and hugs me and there's nothing better in the whole wide world.

It's my job to keep Jude safe and I'll be damned if I can't do that.

Stef

"Why do you need the address of Jude's foster home?"

I'm at home on the phone with Bill. I haven't told him or Captain Roberts about Callie being MIA. I'm pretty sure she's on her way to find Jude. That means to find her, I'll need to find him first which I can't do without an address.

"Callie really wants to see him," I say, pacing along the kitchen floor. He's stalling me and wasting precious time.

"I don't know Stef…" he says in a skeptic tone, "Seeing him might make her regress―"

"Please Bill," at this point I'm begging, "I need to get through to her and that's not going to happen if she can't see that her brother is safe. Please."

There's a moment of silence over the line, "Alright. Give me a minute." I barely stop myself from pumping my fist in the air.

I'm coming for you Callie Jacob.

"So wait, how did you lose your parolee?"

I roll my eyes before returning them to the road, "I didn't lose her Mike. She ran off."

We're driving to San Ysidro and I'm going a bit over the speed limit. I wish I had a siren; not that I could use it without probable cause. I stop for a red light and tap my fingers on the steering wheel as I anxiously wait for the light to turn green.

"Stef, relax." Mike says, looking at me, "She's probably fine. She's obviously street smart."

I sigh, "But she's still just a child. God, I hope she's okay."

The light finally turns green and I press on the gas, going as fast as I can get away with. I feel Mike's gaze on me and I spare him a quick glance before gluing my eyes back to the road ahead of me, "What?"

"This girl has really gotten to you, huh?"

"She's my parolee."

Mike chuckles, "Stef, if this was any other person you would have reported them and sent their ass back to jail."

He's right. I would have.

But Callie isn't some hardened criminal. She's a sixteen year old girl who needs to be shown some direction. Granted, she has an attitude to be dealt with and a wit that is too developed to be faked but she is just as vulnerable as any other kid.

"I'm giving her a chance." I finally say, "Someone has to."

Callie

I walk down the familiar block Jim's house is on. It's dark by now and a little cool. I spot the house from a few houses down. The lights are on. There's no way I can just knock on the door. Jim will take one look at me and call the cops. I have to go in through the back door. If it's around what time I think it is, Jude will be in the kitchen doing chores.

I move quickly and quietly for the house. The shadows provide me with a cover. I get to the fence that surrounds the back yard and peer in through a gap where a missing plank should be. From here I can see the kitchen window and―

Jude.

He's standing at the sink, washing dishes. I want to cry; I'm so relieved. I turn around so that I can head for the back door and nearly run into something. Or someone, rather.

Stef.

Shit.

So the premiere. I feel like there were scenes we should have seen! Like, I would have loved to see Stef's reaction to Callie being locked up in that room. Also, I wanted to see Callie's initial reaction when she found out that Donald knew all along that she wasn't biologically his. Still, I was pretty happy with the episode and I'm hopeful for the rest of the season :)

Sorry this is so short :/

I love you all and all of the support for the story!

Oh! I took a love language quiz. It tells you what you see as a sign of love/what you respond best to. I got a score of 10/12 for Words of Affirmation which just reinforces how much I absolutely LOVE getting reviews from you guys. The longer, the better!

Till next time,

-Liv

P.S.- Side note, does anyone watch Rizzoli & Isles? The end of that episode last night―I can't deal.