Stef

My mouth falls open and I'm speechless.

"W-what?" I ask weakly, unable to formulate a coherent sentence. I look to Roberts, "Captain, if this has anything to do with the first batch of progress reports you received I can assure you—"

"It's not that," she interrupts me.

Now I'm completely lost, "Then why?"

"It's because of Liam," Bill answers, shifting on his feet.

My eyes narrow and my blood begins to boil just at the mention of the name, "Liam? What did that son of a bitch—"

"Nothing," Bill rushes to reassure me, "But Stef, you have two boys. One who is Callie's age and one who is just a year younger…" He trails off and my eyes widen at what he is implying.

"My sons would NEVER do that!" I assert in a firm tone, "Never."

"We know that," Captain Roberts quells, taking a step forward, "It's not that we don't trust your kids. It's the state and what they see fit for Callie. She said a foster brother raped her and now she's living with not one, but two new foster brothers. It's the state's recommendation that Callie be placed somewhere she can cope with what happened to her in a proper environment."

"Like here," I argue, "Callie is doing amazing here. Why would you want to mess that up for her?"

Roberts shakes her head, "I don't, Stef, but this is out of my hands. It's California's wish, not mine."

I run my hands through my hair and grip it, turning away a bit so I can calm myself down. I can't believe this is happening. I thought pops into my head, "What about Jude?" I ask.

"He can stay here," Bill is quick to reply, probably sensing my agitation.

"I can't believe this," I mutter to myself, "When does this have to happen?"

"Right now," Roberts answers in an apologetic tone, "We have a group home expecting Callie—"

I scoff, "A group home?" I repeat, "You couldn't have at least found her a family?"

"It's an all-girl house that specializes in cases like Callie's," Roberts replies, "It's a good home."

"Bill?"

We all turn to see Callie standing near the stairs and my heart drops to my stomach. Callie walks up next to me and looks up at her social worker.

"What's going on, Bill?" she asks in a resolute tone, crossing her arms over her chest.

Bill looks down, "Callie we um, found this really good house—"

"Jude and I are leaving?" she asks quietly, looking at me before returning her gaze to Bill.

He shifts uncomfortably, "Um, not for you and Jude. Just you."

Callie's eyebrows knit together, "I…I don't understand." She looks at me, "Stef?"

She looks so confused and scared and I want nothing more than to tell her nothing is going to happen to her, but that's not the truth. I put a hand around her shoulders, "Could I speak to Callie?" I ask, "Alone?" Captain Roberts and Bill step out onto the porch pulling the door behind them. I lead Callie over to a chair so that she can sit. I kneel down in front of her and intertwine our hands.

"Stef, what's happening?" Callie asks, cutting right to the chase.

I sigh, "Callie, because of what happened…with Liam, the state feels that it wouldn't be the best idea to have you staying with me."

She shakes her head, "That doesn't make any sense."

I agree.

"The state doesn't feel comfortable with you staying in a house with foster brothers so close to your age—"

"Are you serious?" Callie interrupts in an incredulous voice, "Jesus and Brandon wouldn't hurt me! I feel safe around them."

I nod understandingly, "I know you do, but unfortunately this is what the state wants. I'm so sorry."

In a single moment I see Callie's walls shoot up and close me off. Her face is blank but here eyes tell me she's hurt and angry and scared. It breaks my heart to see her like this and the fact that I can't stop this…

"Callie…"

"Jude?" she asks in a quiet but determined voice, "What's going to happen to him?"

"He'll stay right here," I answer, "With me and Lena."

Callie nods and looks down her our intertwined hands, "Okay."

I shake my head, "No, it's not."

Callie gives me a sad smile and shrugs, "Sorry to say, Stef, but this is how it works."

"Well it shouldn't," I say in response, "This isn't fair to you, this isn't fair to Jude. This isn't fair…" I almost say 'to me.' But I don't. Because Callie isn't my daughter.

Even though I want her to be.

Callie gives a bitter laugh, "Since when is life fair?" She takes a breath, "Jude will be safe here. I know it. I trust you."

I left out a shaky breath at her words. The fact that she has so much faith in us, even with this happening... I stand up so that I can sit next to Callie on the edge of the chair and draw her into my arms. She hesitates momentarily before finally resting her head on my shoulder. I kiss her cheek.

"I love you so much, Callie." I whisper before I can stop myself. She jerks back suddenly and gives me a look of absolute disbelief.

"You do?" she asks in an awestruck whisper that nearly breaks my heart. I nod. Her bottom lip begins to tremble and she bites it. I give her some time to process because I know the way she works. Callie finally meets my eyes.

"Stef?"

"Yes, Love?"

Her bottom lip begins to tremble again, "I don't want to leave!" she admits aloud. I bring her back into my arms and hold her tight. She isn't crying but she's shaking from the effort of holding it in. I rub her back and run my fingers through her hair, anything to bring her some semblance of comfort.

I pull back a little, "Callie, I promise you I will get this fixed. It might take some time but I'm not going to leave you in that group home. I know you've been told a lot of empty promises in the past but please believe me when I say I'm telling the truth."

I feel Callie nod into my shoulder. After a while she pulls back. She brings up a hand to my cheek and gently wipes her hand over it. It's then that I realize I've let a few tears slip.

"I love you, Stef."

She's says it so quietly that for a second I think I'm imagining things. But then she smiles at me and I know I heard her correctly. I give a tearful laugh. I take her hand and kiss it.

"I love you too, Callie."

Callie

For the first time in my life, I wish I were deaf, because listening to Jude's cries hurts more than anything.

"Please Callie," he begs as we walk towards the door, "Please? Why can't I go with you?"

Telling the rest of the family what was happening didn't go over well. Lena was upset, Mariana looked devastated, and Jesus and Brandon were pissed that the state would even consider that they were anything like Liam.

"It's a home for teenage girls, Jude," Bill answers. He along with Captain Roberts are back in the house, standing by the front door, "You can't go with your sister."

"What if I go live with Dad?" Brandon suggests, turning to Stef with a hopeful look.

Jesus nods eagerly, "I'll go, too."

The fact that they would leave their own house just so I could stay is so sweet and makes this whole situation that much harder.

"That's very sweet," Captain Roberts interjects in an apologetic tone, "But it won't change the situation," she turns to me, "Bill and I will be outside. Take as much time as you need to say goodbye." They leave so it's just myself, Jude and the Fosters.

I place my duffle bag on the floor. It's much heavier than when I initially brought it here. Stef and Lena insisted on buying Jude and me new clothes and shoes among other things. I shift on my feet, unsure of what to do or say: I've never really had to say bye to a foster family that I cared about. Usually, I'm happy to go and they're happy to see me go. This is different.

This is hard.

I decide to start with Jesus, who is brooding near the stairs. I walk over and hug him and he squeezes me tightly, "If anyone messes with you, kick their ass." He says. I give him a small smile and nod before stepping back and moving onto Mariana. She throws her arms around me and I can feel her tears against my neck.

"It's not fair," she mumbles with a sniffle, "Moms will figure it out, okay?" I nod, although I'm kind of stuck on the way she said 'Moms' instead of 'Stef and Lena.' I give her a final squeeze and move onto Brandon.

He pulls out the guitar from behind his back and wordlessly holds it out to me. I smile a little and take it from him, holding it for a bit before holding it back out to me, "Brandon, I can't."

He shakes his head, "Callie…"

I stick out the guitar more so that he's forced to take it from me, "Brandon, this is one of the best gifts someone has ever given me. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to it. Keep it here for me. Please?"

Brandon sighs and nods. He props it up against the banister and wraps me up in a hug. He kisses my hair and its nothing like Liam—it's brotherly and gentle and safe. I step back and turn around to Lena.

It's funny how at first Lena and I tiptoed around each other—we were both apprehensive about the other's presence—but now I don't think I could have found a better person for Jude. She's exactly what he needed and for that I'm grateful. Lena takes the initiative and pulls me into her arms. She holds me tightly and I hold her back. She sways me a bit and I can hear her heart beating in her chest. She kisses my temple a few times before putting her hands on my shoulders and stooping down to my level so that our eyes meet.

"We are going to do everything to get you back here as soon as possible," she says determinedly, eyes shining with purpose, "If you need anything at all, call us. If you feel unsafe or something happens, please call us. Promise me?"

I nod, "I promise." Lena lets out a breath and pulls me into her arms again, giving me another squeeze and a few more kisses before releasing me. Now came the hardest goodbye.

Jude.

He hasn't stopped crying since I first told him what was happening. He watched silently as I packed my belongings earlier. I kneel down in front of Jude and take his hands in mine.

My baby brother.

The only time we've ever been separated was when I was sent to juvie. At least this time I know I'll be leaving him somewhere safe, with people who actually care about him.

"I'm so sorry, Jude." I whisper, tears welling up in my eyes as I look into his, "If there was anything I could do to keep this from happening, I'd do it ten times over." I glance at Stef and Lena briefly, "You're safe here, Baby. Please don't worry—about yourself or me. I'll be just fine, like I always am." I smile, "Listen to Stef and Lena, they know what they're doing. They'll protect you. I love you so much, Jude, and I'll come back for you."

Jude lets out a little sob and drops to the ground so that he can hug me. I hold him close and stroke his hair. As much as I feel like crying, I try my best to hold it in so that I don't upset Jude even more. I kiss his cheek, "I love you, Jude," I repeat right into his ear, "And I'll be back." He nods and takes a shaky breath. I pull away from him, knowing that if I didn't make the move he would never let me go. We both stand up and I look up at Stef who is holding my bags. Her face is unreadable.

"I'll walk you out," she says, pulling open the door for me. I turn to face the rest of the family who have gathered near the stairs. Lena has her arms around Jude and I feel reassured that he's safe. I grab my bag and give a final wave before following Stef outside. She doesn't speak the entire way to the car that Bill and Captain Roberts are sitting in. She doesn't speak as she loads my bag into the trunk and closes it.

Finally, she's all done and its just the two of us. I don't think either of us knows where to start. She's about to say something when I wrap my arms around. I think she's surprised because she stills for a moment before immediately bringing her arms around me as well.

"My sweet girl," she murmurs into my hair, hand coming up to run through my curls, "You are important. You are loved. Don't give up on us."

I nod, "I love you, Stef." I whisper, sniffling back a sob. I feel her smile into my hair.

"I love you, too Callie," says, "Be smart. Be safe."

I nod once again and kiss Stef's cheek, "Bye, Stef."

I get into the car and close the door behind me. I glance at her quickly through the window before Bill starts the car and peels away from the curb. In no time, we're headed to the group home. I guess it's good this happened fast.

Now Stef won't have to watch me cry.

Lena

The rest of the night was solemn. Nobody was in the mod to finish dinner so a lot of food ended up in the trash. The kids retired to their rooms with little words; Jude with no words at all. It's crazy to think that we're supposed to just go about our day tomorrow as if we didn't just lose a piece of our hearts. We have work and school and commitments that we're expected to keep.

I don't have the energy to face the world tomorrow. I don't think any of us do. I glance at the clock on the wall and realize I've been staring at the same page from my book for the past hour. I close it and toss it on the coffee table with a sigh. I might as well head to bed. I want to check on the kids to make sure they're okay. First I check on Brandon, who is fast asleep but his face is tense. I rake my fingers gently through his hair until he relaxes a bit. I move on to Jesus and Jude. I'm surprised to see Jude is not in his bed. I didn't see him downstairs…Jesus is tossing and turning restlessly. I rest my hand on his forehead and wait for him to settle down. I move onto Mariana's room with the intention of quickly checking on her before going off to search for Jude.

Turns out I'm killing two birds with one stone.

I spot Jude asleep in his sister's bed, tightly clutching her pillow. Upon closer inspection I see the tear tracks on his cheeks and my heart aches for him. I tuck the blanket around him a bit more before checking on Mariana. She's sleeping with her blanket held tightly I her hands, much like the way she used to hold her 'night-night' when she was little. I kiss her forehead and head out of the room and towards my bedroom. I want nothing more than to fall asleep and forget this day.

The room is empty but I see the light in our bathroom is on. I begin to get ready for bed, turning down the bed and pulling up my hair. I want to give my face a quick wash but Stef is still in the bathroom. I knock lightly on the door.

"Stef?" I call quietly. I wait a moment and receive no answer, "Stef?" I open the door slowly and walk inside. She's sitting on the tub, head down. In her hands she has a flannel shirt and I recognize it as Callie's.

"She left her shirt," Stef says quietly, never lifting her head, "I forgot that I tossed it in with our things. It's one of her favorite shirts and she got a coffee stain on it." She finally looks up at me, and there are tears rolling down her face, "I took her for coffee before group, said it would be one time in a million. She was so happy." Stef shakes her head and lets out a sob, "Why did they take her from us?"

I take a seat next to her on the tub and hold Stef close. She shakes with the force of her sobs. Stef has always been the strong one, our fortress of solitude, so when she finally breaks I'm unsure of what to do.

"Tell me what to do," I practically beg, unable to bear the cries of my love, "Tell me how to make this better."

Stef smiles bitterly through her tears and sniffles, "Can you bring her back?"

I kiss her softly on the lips and rest my forehead against hers, "I love you," I whisper, the only comfort I can offer.

Stef smiles a bit, "I love you, too Lena. Let's go to bed." I nod and we head out of the bathroom. I turn off the lamps and we climb into bed. Stef immediately finds me and snakes her arms around me. I brush the remaining tears off her cheeks and kiss both her eyes.

"Rest, Sweetheart." I whisper, kissing the shell of her ear. I wait for her breathing to even out before allowing myself to following her into slumber.

I hope ya'll didn't hurt yourself jumping to conclusions. ;)

You guys should know me by now; I like to stir up the pot. I wouldn't send Callie away because of some progree reports. I'm not 100% sure how the system works but come on! Oh ye of little faith.

Thank you for the support and reviews. You guys are too kind. This is a SUPER long chapter as a little thank you for the loyalty to the story and for not giving up.

Love love love,

-Liv