Hi All, thanks for response to last chapter as always!

To the Guest who requested a new story with baby - I may well do this (I have a few ideas) but I will probably wait to see where the show goes with it first. Because I wrote Black Widow and Nerd in the "future" and there is significant lack of baby, I may need to change things up a little anyway, but I try and stay pretty close to the show so stuff like name etc (and how they work the Timothy thing) I want to wait and see before I write anything :) That's not to say I may not do stuff in Fostering Fun but I'd still likely wait till Season 2 unless I have a flash of inspiration. Thanks for request though, I will definitely see what I can do when it feels the right time :)

OK so I had a couple of requests from theypreferthetermpeople - I am afraid I won't do Mariana/Dana scene re. song because of the deleted clip (which you should all search if you haven't done) and I don't have anything to add to that but I have put in a tiny bit of Stef/Lena together before trial (this chapter) and I have added a little scene re. the booklets beyond what I already had with that. Any more requests from people I will always try and get something for you if I can fit it in.

Right, onto today's chapter - please excuse my complete lack of legal knowledge (especially of the US system) but with that aside, I hope there is a little justice here (as much as the show let me). I would love to know your thoughts anyhow!

Thanks to thesameguest for reading this through (well, before the bits I added) and to TheTBone for keeping me grounded with this one (you can blame her and my rationality for Kasey not slashing Liam's tyres). She also insisted I have Kasey flip him off so, there you go.

"What in the world are you two doing up?" Stef grumbled sleepily as she approached the door. "It's nearly half two!"

"We were just talking." Kasey explained, shuffling awkwardly with a guilty smile.

"I couldn't sleep and Kasey was still..." Callie quickly realised she didn't have an excuse for Kasey.

"I was still awake too. You know, wedding nerves and all." She smiled as Stef squinted, clearly not convinced.

"I heard footsteps come down before and then when I didn't hear them come back up...wait, what's in the box?" She stepped forward, wondering why it had taken so long for her to notice the poor cover-up operation.

Both girls looked nervously to the box and back to each other.

"You know what." Kasey considered. "This is as much your fault as mine..." She remarked opening it up and chucking a program to her mother who grabbed it. She squinted at it, holding it at arms length without her glasses. Quickly realisation hit.

"You did not order these..." Her eyes bulged almost completely out of her head, obliterating any level of sleepiness.

"Not deliberately. You're the one who chased me out the room without letting me check." She protested.

"We need to fix this - like now!" she replied in horror. "Lena's gonna flip!"

"What do you think we're doing?" Kasey shrugged back as Stef joined them on the floor and Callie passed her one of the newer versions.

She skimmed it over, squinting hard.

"Want a magnifying glass there, grandma?" Kasey whispered through a small chuckle as Stef nudged her but couldn't criticise. "I guess this works." She replied nervously. As much as she had tried to ignore Sharon's words of wisdom she knew Lena wouldn't be impressed with this level of mockery. "If she finds -"

"Mom, relax." Kasey assured her. "We've got it sorted. And you're welcome." She added with a little sass, even if Stef's tired mind wasn't in the mood.

"Alright, alright. Thank you. You've saved the day - even though you messed it up in the first place." Stef poked her on the arm with the corner of the card before she swapped back into more mother mode than panicking fiancee. "However, you both need to be getting back to sleep now. Especially you Callie." She looked over affectionately. "You have enough on your plate right now without worry about covering up for type first, think later over here."

"Hey, you - "

"Shh!" Stef cut her off with another sharp nudge of the elbow, Kasey huffing her arms crossed.

"Honestly, I was glad of something to do. Beats staring at my ceiling."

Stef softly grasped her hand. "You know whatever happens in that courtroom you have to go with your gut. No-one is going to judge you for what you do. Whatever you do."

"I know that." Callie smiled, even if her eyes were still heavy. It was so easy to feel the comfort when the family were there saying these things to her. In those moments she could slip into that, into the ease that maybe things could change - but at the same time it was that ease that kept making this harder. The more she slipped, the more she lost the resilience. She could never decide which she preferred. The flying solo with resistance to the wind or being in the nest with a harder drop below.

"OK then. Well I need to get back up before Mama comes looking and then we'll all be in trouble. Kasey, I really think you should finish this tomorrow. We'll stop her from looking for them."

"So close now, Mom. Seriously, we'll be done in like a half hour."

"It's a half hour you can do tomorrow then." Stef kissed her head. "Callie, come on. I don't want you up any longer, OK? You may find it hard to sleep but you definitely won't sat down here."

"OK." She pushed herself up as Stef shuffled, Kasey watching her with a quiet smirk.

"Need a hand Mo-"

"I can do it." She squinted, bracing herself onto her knee and putting a hand on the bed before springing up. "I spend my life chasing criminals and children, I have agility, Missy, bullet and all." She swatted Kasey's head with the booklet. "Come on, get tidied up and get to sleep." She tickled her daughter's scalp, handing her the card before heading to join Callie and guiding an arm around her back.

"Do you want something to drink to help you sleep?" She asked softly as they reached the top of the stairs. "I know that lot were always easier to get off to sleep with some hot milk."

Callie looked to the fridge and back to her with a subtle smile. "I think I'll be OK." She nodded.

Stef looked at the tangled mess between those tired brown eyes. She was amazed it had taken her this long to give up on sleeping, she wasn't sure she herself would be able to go back to sleep after even just seeing her. She had advice, she had bags of it, but this was a decision that she knew Callie had to make alone to stand by it and unless she was told otherswise she would save the energy for helping pick up whatever pieces were left at the end. Unfortunately for Callie, there were always pieces to pick up.

"Right." Stef promptly pulled her into tight hug. She knew even that may put a tiny bit of pressure on her, but at the same time she couldn't resist. As always, there was no more than a flicker but she felt the faint twitch on her back that showed Callie wasn't completely uncomfortable.

"Bedtime, sweets." She pulled off and patted her lightly. "You know you don't have to go to school tomorrow, I'm home - we can take you straight there."

"No..." Callie replied quickly. "I think I want the distraction."

Stef examined her face and bit her lips together with a quiet nod. She wasn't sure she liked it but she wasn't going to argue. "OK then..." She agreed. "Well right now you get to sleep and just wait, you're gonna wake up ready to face whatever the court has to throw at you."

Callie nodded so as not to let her down, but as Stef guided her up the stairs she couldn't help but feel she'd never get the sleep that would equip her to 'wake up' to do so. Stef watched her return to her room before edging slowly into her own.

"Everything OK?" Stef heard Lena's sleepy mumble as she creeped back into bed from her excursion.

"Yeah, I was just checking on Callie. I heard her stirring and go downstairs." She informed her quietly as Lena's pulled her into a snuggle.

"How is she getting on?" She whispered, still on the line between asleep and awake but the intuition dominating her thought process.

"She's doing OK, poor girl." Stef sighed. Just as she had anticipated, she was now wide awake with even just a fraction of the anguish Callie must be going through, tossing the different permutations over in her mind. "She's determined to still go to school in the morning." she replied, almost as an easier thought to share than the jumble of others.

Lena' awoke slightly hearing the trepidation in Stef's voice.

"She's a strong girl, we just have to make sure we can be there for her, you know. Try not to sway her."

"I know." Stef replied, fidgetting Lena's hand tightly into her own, her arms wrapped around her. "I just wish we could guide her. I'm pretty sure she'll make the right decision, whatever that is I just...I wish we could share the burden."

"We can...just not the decision. We'll hold her up." Lena kissed Stef's cheek and slowly drifted back into her sleepy haze, Stef now too firmly awoken to be able to fall so easily back into her own. She felt Lena's grip ease as her subconscious took over but was only able to lay glaring at the ever slowing clock, her thoughts ticking along with every minute. At least this would all be done tomorrow.

Lena walked her briskly out of the door of the school, quickly noticing Callie's slower pace. Last night she had encouraged Stef to be happy with Callie's decision, but as the day was unfolding it was apparent Lena was struggling more with being at school than Callie.

She shook her head and re-focussed on the most important thing. No matter how nervous she was, Callie must be a hundred times worse. She gulped down and put her own agitation aside.

"I'm guessing how are you feeling is a pretty stupid question."

Callie looked up, having barely registered Lena's presence. She had a ball in her stomach that, despite the distractions she had pretended she could trick herself with, had stayed prominent and glaring throughout the day. She felt like she could be sick at any moment and even the woman asking her questions right in front of her was barely enough to shift her attention.

"I feel like I'm gonna barf." She replied honestly. It probably wasn't what Lena wanted or expected but it was just about the only honest answer she could give.

They got into the car and buckled up. All of Lena's motherly instincts were screaming. She was so rarely speechless, this was such unfamiliar territory, but for the first time she barely had any words of advice to give. Yet again, this seemed so much easier when she and Stef were discussing it the night before, half asleep, but here and now with Callie sat there she felt completely lost. Callie was so independent, so determined in her own decisions. She was so resistant of their help yet so appreciative of it being there. She neither wanted to smother her or neglect her and it wasn't helped by her herself not having a clue as to what she would do in Callie's situation.

She looked over to her and saw her staring out of the window. She wanted to say something. She had to say something. She wracked her brain for every bit of guidance she had without giving any level of direction. Some words which may help ease Callie's burden and to help her find what she truly wanted.

"I know we've told you a hundred times that we'll love and support you, whatever happens today. I'm sure you know that." She kept her eyes fixed on the road ahead of them.

"I do." Callie nodded.

"But I think the most important thing you have to remember is that...the person who matters most in this is you. What you feel you can stand up and say knowing it was what you needed to do for yourself. You don't owe anyone anything."

Callie looked down to her feet and gnawed gently on her lip.

"Now there's no wrong decision, that's important too. It's not like this is a test and we all know the answer that you don't."

The car bumped gently over a pothole.

"But this is your day, Callie, and no-one should be able to take that from you. What you do up there is in your hands, even if the system is against you. That's something no-one can take away."

They turned right.

"And whatever happens, just remember, you did the right thing facing up to this and putting it out there. That's another thing no-one could take away."

The car stopped.

They were there.

After a moment of silence Callie turned her head to her and looked deep into her sympathetic eyes. She opened her mouth to respond but it drifted into more silence followed by a nod. Lena's heart crumpled slightly as she felt her lips turn round and a pull to place her hand around Callie's cheek. She dipped her head down gently and kissed her head before patting her on the knee.

"Let's go get 'em." She smiled. "Or go down kicking and screaming to try."

Callie nodded, a small boost of morale, and she clicked open the car.

She looked to the courthouse and took a deep breath, every single one of Lena's words in her mind. She may not have responded, she may not have agreed entirely with them all but she had taken in every one and watching her stride towards the door, Lena realised she knew that was the case.

Kasey scurried to the courthouse door. She knew she would be late but it was only a 15 minute walk. She had managed to slither her way out of school with some clever technicalities. She knew she would get caught by her parents but she didn't mind - she wasn't trying to hide. Knowing Callie would appreaciate it was all she needed to know she had to be there.

The trial was already well on its way but she was there to hear both sides. Her emotions leaped and jumped throughout, swinging from anger to annoyance to disbelief. She wanted to stand up and scream in Callie's favour as the prosecution tried to rip her apart. She shook her head and bit her tongue as the lies and stories came out. She almost yelled out but her care for Callie heavily outweighed her desire to have two seconds of gratification. But then, more powerful than it all, she froze when Callie sat there proud and firm.

Her heart pounded in pace with Callie's, she could see it from the passion in her eyes.

The moment approached as Simon set up the question. Kasey reminded herself how much she hated lawyer talk. She had been frustrated enough in her many tired marathons of SVU wondering how someone can so blatantly set up a question, even if this time he was supposedly on their side. He moved and dipped to try and force her down the path he had tried to craft out - but this was Callie's show and seeing that made Kasey clutch her thumb to her tooth.

"Would you say it was...consensual?"

Silence.

Nothing but the faintest sound of Callie's breath.

Then - there it was. The click. The realisation. Callie had made her decision. All the opinions she had gathered, all of the advice - it all contributed and had influenced her one way or another, but right now there was nothing more in her face than her looking deep down and knowing for sure what she wanted right then and there.

Kasey only retained key phrases, but each one Callie said called out every flaw and every weakness in the structure that tried so hard to let her down in one way or another.

"I know what you want me to say." The lawyers.

"That's more than I should expect." Society.

"You know what you did to me. I know what you did to me." The liar.

"No. It was not consensual. No. He raped me." The rapist.

Kasey could feel the tears brimming at the back of her eyes and the tingling run through her body. She wanted to scream in triumph before the joy was killed. To have this moment of happiness with this sister of hers, laid out so bare and yet so strong before every part of this system that had tried to smack her down. This system of justice. Justice was not what Callie was here to get today, it was respect. Respect for herself, not from anyone other than herself and that was what she had won.

The rest of the trial was a blur. The judge was clearly unimpressed, the ADA was backtracking and desperate. Liam's lawyer was slippery and even more frustrating than Simon, and Kasey was finding she had no nails left to chew but luckily she was saved as the judge came to his final comments.

"Miss Jacob, I have to say, you have some character. Some record too." He flicked through his paperwork on his desk as Callie shuffled her head down. This was always what it came down to. "Seeing you off paper however has shown that you also have a remarkable sense of courage and integrity. Coming up here onto this stand and making the statements you did today. There are people in this court who could learn a lot from what you said, on both sides of this case." He made a pointed look to a sheepish looking Simon and an even more humiliated looking Liam.

"And Mr Olmstead." He turned to the blonde haired bully, ever shrinking in his suit. "These charges brought against you represent a despicable example of one of the worst kinds of abuse. The act in itself is not only abhorrent but in the circumstances under which it is alleged to have occurred, that demonstrates a predatory and twisted manipulation of a vulnerable child, and that, even if this were a lesser charge, there is no excuse for."

He looked hard at the young man, knowing full well that this would be the last chance he may have to make the point.

"However." Callie blinked down. She just wanted the bad news now. Her last six years had been a continues slap of "howevers" and "buts".

She took a deep breath,

"Based on the lack of evidence and the time at which the event took place, it gives me absolutely no pleasure whatsoever to rule that this trial be dismissed without prejudice."

Callie felt her heart jolt down, but only managed to give a hopeless smile. She knew it was coming. It was inevitable. She had fought and she had lost. Stef and Lena too squeezed each other's hands and shared a look of complete disappointment.

"I will however be upholding the restraining order and please note, Mr and Mrs Olmstead that this trial will affect the assessment as to whether your home is a safe environment for children, even with this outcome."

Kasey bit down on her lip, almost breaking the skin as the judge descended into legal jargon and adjourned the room. Dipping her head, Callie turned to look at Simon.

"Thank you for trying." She assured him, before walking straight passed and leaving him speechless. She locked eyes with Liam as she turned and stared hard at her aggressor's face.

She had got nothing, but at the same time, looking at his dishevelled appearance and his broken spirit, she did at least feel content that she hadn't lost anything either. She had told her story and the world may not have believed her but at least it was forced to listen. Then, in what felt like the boldest move she had made, she turned away from him. He was out of her life now, whether she got anything other than scars or not.

She had cut him out of her life, not the other way around and that in itself gave her a flicker of relief.

She moved into Lena's waiting arms as she hugged her tightly, Stef staring down Liam in Callie's place. She saw him whisper something to his parents and move to walk out.

"I'm gonna go ahead. I'll see you outside." Stef commented, Lena flashing her a warning glare. Stef wasn't going to be careless but she wasn't going to let him think he'd won.

She could see him gasp for air, his chest darting up and down as his parents were left talking to his attorney. Stef's icy glare following him every step of the way as he left. He could feel it on his neck and he could see it every time he dared to look.

It escorted him out along with any delusion that even if he was technically innocent to the world, not a single person who mattered in Callie's life would ever see him that way - and he would never be able to prove them otherwise. Maybe that shouldn't matter to him, maybe it didn't...but maybe there was that vulnerable part of him where it really did. That same bit of him that had shaken like a terrified school child the moment the police came to his door.

As he approached the back of the courtroom he saw Kasey step out, seeing her Mom's plan and now both glares cutting through him. She stood in the aisle, blocking the door but clearly not making any effort to move. Stef swallowed down, vaguely nervous having seen Kasey and fearing what she may do, but over all she was still too focussed on Liam to think too much of it.

He cleared his throat on coming face to face with the girl he'd tried to manipulate to try and get to the girl he had tortured.

"Sorry, would you like me to move?" She asked him coolly, buzzing with a mixture of rage and confidence at facing him on Callie's behalf.

He gulped down and tried to find his voice. "If you don't mind." He tried to sound firm but he was clearly quivering. He should be smug right now, he should be gloating, but the display going on around him was exposing him for the coward he really was.

"That's polite. I thought you didn't mind pushing around little girls." She replied, still coldly before stepping slightly to the side and giving him a small space to pass, forcing him to brush her and not lifting her eyes off him as he moved. Now both Stef and Kasey's eyes fixed on his back and causing his body to start to tremble.

They followed him out as he moved to his truck, turning momentarily as he opened his car door. Kasey cleared her throat and chose an apt finger to scratch her forehead with, making her feelings clear. She felt Stef nudge her with a soft whisper.

"That's beneath you, Kasey." She sniffed as they both still hooked their gaze, Kasey taking in the words.

"So's he." She shrugged, putting her hand back down as they watched his car roll off. Once he had gone, they turned to each other, Kasey preparing her excuses but Stef simply throwing her a glare and pulling her into a hug. "It wasn't fair, but at least it's over."

Next Chapter Preview: Tensions run high as the wedding approached and Stef gives Callie some words of wisdom about the pre-trial.

"You don't have to stop." She assured Callie, dropping down to sit next to her.

"I was just messing around anyway." She twitched a smile, moving the guitar down. Her eyes looked so sad but her general demeanour wasn't weak.

"So - " Stef began, the silence beginning to make her nervous. "I hope you know what a brave thing you did today."

Callie turned to her, slightly taken aback - even though she was learning fast that nothing should surprise her any more.