Callie

Stef looks pissed.

All I can do is open and close my mouth like fish. How did she find me? Why is she even here? If anything I was expecting a squad car to take me back to juvie, not her. For the first time I notice there's a man behind her in a full on police-uniform. So it's not a squad car, but basically the same thing. Stef takes a step towards me and I take a step back. I don't know what she's about to do.

"Get in the car. Now." Stef grits out, pointing across the street. I glance back at the house where Jude is washing the dishes. No way am I leaving him here. I begin to turn away but Stef's hand clasps my upper arm. I begin to twist my body away and pull at her wrist but she holds on tight.

She pulls me close so that our faces are only inches away, "This is what's going to happen, Callie," Stef says in an angry whisper, "You will get into the car right this minute or I will have you arrested for stealing, running away and therefore violating your parole. Your choice." Her gaze doesn't waver and I know she's serious.

Crap.

I think it over in my head for a minute before dropping my head in defeat. Stef leads me to the car where I know I'm about to get an earful.

Stef

"Care to tell me what you were thinking?!" Callie is sitting in the passenger seat while Mike waits outside some ways down the sidewalk. I don't want to intimidate her with a strange man she's never met before, "I'm waiting."

She rolls her eyes and crosses her arms over her chest. I wonder if her only goal in life is to drive me completely up the wall because she's doing one hell of a job so far. I breathe in and out. Maybe Bill is right; Captain Roberts, too. Maybe I do have my work cut out for me.

"You have ten seconds to give me an explanation. Ten. Nine." I'm this girl's parole officer and yet here I am counting down as if I were a freaking kindergarten teacher instead of a cop. I can manage my own kids, no problem. Figuring out someone like Callie who I've only known for about a day is proving to be one of the biggest challenges I have yet to face. I reach one and Callie had yet to utter a word, let alone look at me.

I take out my keys to put them in the ignition, "Okay, fine. If you're not going to talk, we'll just leave―"

"No!" her shout is sudden and loud and makes me jump in my seat, "We can't leave without Jude!" Her eyes are wide and full of alarm.

"Callie―"

"Please, Stef," she begs, her hand coming out to grip my arm, "I'm sorry I was rude and I'm sorry I stole your money. You can send me to a group home or juvie but please don't leave Jude here. Please?"

This is new. I knew there was more to the tough-girl persona she put on, but seeing Callie so vulnerable and raw is startling. She's gripping my arm desperately and for the first time seeking out my eyes instead of vice-versa. I open my mouth to answer her but I'm cut off by Mike rapping against my window frantically. I open my door and step out.

"Mike, what the―"

"This guy just pulled out a gun."

I turn around to tell Callie to stay put but she's already out of the car and making a mad dash for the house. I curse and run after her, Mike hot on my tail. He's speaking into his radio as we run to request back-up. I take my gun out of its holster and creep up to the front door so I can take a quick peek inside.

There's a little boy with his hands over his ears, tears streaming down his face. Jude, I presume. There's some broken glass on the floor and I wonder if this started the yelling or just happened to be in the way of it. Callie has run into the house and is standing in front of her brother, one hand held out to him and the other in front of Jim. She's yelling right back at him, backing up with Jude as Jim gets closer and closer to them with his gun.

I give Mike a little nod and we burst in through the front door, guns drawn.

"Police, freeze!" I yell in a well-trained, authoritative voice, "Get down on your knees now! GET DOWN ON YOUR KNEES NOW!"

Jim sinks down to his knees while Mike yells at him to drop his weapon, gun trained in case he decides to do something stupid. I glance at Callie who has pulled Jude into the kitchen. Her forehead is pressed against his and she's running her hands over him. She kisses his head and hugs him to her, swaying them back and forth and whispering in his ear. I hear sirens in the background. Back-up is here. Mike is cuffing Jim so I put my gun away and make my way to the kitchen.

"Callie."

Her head snaps up and she tightens her grip on Jude as if I would just take him away right then and there. Jude moves his head and I can clearly see his face. It's red, most likely from crying. His eyes are full of fear and a little bit of curiosity. I kneel down so that I'm not towering over him.

"Hi there," I greet him with a smile, "My name's Stef. You're Callie's brother Jude, yes?"

He looks up at his sister and she nods a little. He looks back at me, "Yeah." He answers in a voice so quiet I almost miss it.

"There's some policemen outside that are probably going to ask you some questions," I warn him lightly, "You're not in any trouble, okay?" I wait for him to nod before standing back up, "Callie, can you help Jude pack his things and then meet me outside?"

She looks at me suspiciously for a moment before slowly nodding her head. She's smart enough to know that she can't take off. I move for the front door. Mike has taken Jim out of the house by now and I can see him being put into a cruiser. I feel my phone vibrating in my pocket and I take it out to see who's calling. The screen reads Lena.

Oh boy.

I never told her what was going on. I press the 'ACCEPT' button and hold my phone up to my ear, "Lena I―"

"Stefanie Marie Foster where the HELL are you?"

If Lena's cursing, she must be pretty pissed, "I'm so sorry, Love. I am. I had a situation with Callie―"

"You didn't answer me," she interrupts, "Where are you?"

"San Ysidro."

She makes a noise, "You're practically in Mexico! What on earth are you doing there?"

I begin to explain what happened, starting at the station earlier this afternoon. I tell her about how I didn't tell Roberts and how I had gotten the address from Bill. I told her about finally finding Callie and how Jim took out a gun. I finish and Lena is quiet.

I wait a minute before getting the courage to ask, "Lena?"

"Just come home soon, okay?" she finally says quietly, "All of you."

Bless her heart.

I nod even though she can't see me, "We will. I love you."

"Love you, too." I hang up the call and turn back to the house where Callie is coming out with Jude. She has a duffle bag slung over her shoulders and Jude is clutching a backpack in front of himself like a shield.

I open the door to the car and wave them over, "Come sit in here, Jude. I just need to talk to Callie for a minute, alright?" I guess that was the wrong thing to say because he clutches his sister's arm so tightly that I'm afraid he'll draw blood, "It's okay, Jude. We'll be right behind the car; Callie will be right back, okay?"

He nods his head and reluctantly leaves his sister to climb into the car. I gesture for Callie to follow me so that we can talk somewhat privately. We stop near the trunk and I can feel the dread radiating off Callie as if it were a physical being.

"I need you to understand how this could have ended very badly," I begin in a firm but gentle tone, her eyes are darting around wildly, looking everywhere but at me, "You could have gotten hurt and so could Jude."

Callie lowers her eyes to the ground, "Look," she finally says in a resigned voice, "You can send me back to juvie but can you just promise me Jude will be somewhere safe?" Her eyes finally reach mine; they're simultaneously pleading for me to listen while searching my face for an answer.

I can't believe her. Does she really think I would just dismiss her? "You're not disposable, Callie. You're…you're not worthless."

Her eyes lock with mine and they're filled with tears. Something crosses her features for a moment. Something akin to hope. I put my hand on her back and guide her towards the car.

"Let's go, Callie. Let's go."

GUYS. On Wednesday it was really hot (I live on Long Island) and I was out and my sister was home and she texts me "The house is one fire." So I reply "So put the AC on lol." And she texts me back "No, it's literally on fire." And sends me pictures of all the fire trucks and police cars at my house. I was in shock. I was babysitting two kids with special needs so I couldn't just leave so I just prayed my house would be okay. It is, thank the Lord. It was my water heater. Slomins came to fix it and my only complaint is that my water is freakishly hot now.

I'll take hot water over being homeless anyday.

Please leave a review! :)

-Liv

P.S.-Sorry if I'm not accurate with the duties of a parole officer and how the foster care system works. I'm an 18 year old who is graduating high school next week. I'm going off what I've seen in the many cop shows I watch.