AN: I apologize about the long wait. This time it wasn't my studies. I simply wanted to focus a little bit more on ending "After the wait" story and a very important chapter in "Place at the table", before I really get into this one. Writing 3 stories is real hard.

Hope you enjoy :)

PS. I ended last chapter with Stef and Amy meeting at the precinct. But this one is set on the same morning from Callie's perspective (starting before Amy leaves to work). Just to clear the timeline out :)

Callie POV

November 29th

"Slowly," Amy said walking behind me

I was touching the wall on my right, that way trying to steady myself a bit more. My left hand was resting over my side, where there was now a bandage covering the incision the doctor made.

When I staggered backwards a little bit, I felt Amy's fingertips brush up against my lower back. My body tensed up at the sudden touch.

"Don't!" I wanted to say it as loudly and harshly as I can, so she could take back her hand, but it came out more like a whisper

"I don't want you to fall, honey," Amy said as she rested her hand to my lower back. I was so exhausted, that I don't really have the energy to lift my feet up 4 more times. The night in the hospital took away the little bit of energy that I had left in me. My eyelids were feeling extra heavy. Aaron had suggested that he could carry me up the stairs, but I had instantly rejected that idea.

"We are almost there," Amy said encouraging me as she took a step up and now was on the same level as I was

I lifted my feet up few more times and finally stepped off the stairs. My fingertips were still touching the wall.

"Hey! You are back. I'm glad you are okay, Callie!" I hear Markus voice coming from his doorway. When I look up from the floor, I see him standing in the doorway, with his backpack over his right shoulder, he was holding on to the strap with his hand. But in his other hand he was holding a gym bag.

"You need to go to school Markus or you will be late," Amy tells him

"I know...I just wanted to wait till you all get back. Make sure Callie's okay," Markus replied as he started to walk towards the stairs

School – I had totally forgotten about it.

"You can probably ask dad for his car," Amy says to him, when he stepped on the first step "He doesn't have any plans today,"

"Okay. Bye, mom. Get better Callie!" Markus replies before he hurries down the stairs, when he reached the first floor, I hear him ask out to Aaron "Dad, mom said I could get your car today!"

I look up to Amy, who still stood by my side. Neither Amy, nor Aaron were showing it outwards, but I was sure, they were not happy that I will have to stay home, because of my injury. School is the place, where they can just drop me off and pretend that I don't exist for the next 9 hours. School is foster parents paradise, where someone else is looking after the kid and a time, when he is not at home disturbing or causing trouble.

"I can go to school. I just need to change,"

"Don't be silly, Callie. You don't have to go so school today," Amy didn't even hesitate with that answer for a second

"I'm fine, I can go!" I argued back, knowing how foster parents don't like to take care of sick kids. I could drink a cup off coffee and that could get me through the day. The pain is not so bad anymore. I don't know about my concentration skill, but I could just write down everything the teachers say and then go over it once I get home.

"The only place you need to go right now - is your bedroom. You need to crawl under the blanket and rest," Amy said and gestured to the room that was right in front of me "You heard what the doctor said!"

"I can go to school!" I wanted to show her that I won't be a burden for them

"You could, but you don't have to," Amy replied and nudged me to walk. The last few steps to the bed were lot easier than walking up the stairs. When I was almost up to the bed, Amy finally left me side. But not for too long. She hurried in front of me and moved back the blanket, lifting it up.

Slowly I sat down on the side of the bed and I kicked off the slipper, Aaron had brought along with him, when he drove to hospital.

"Lay down," Amy nodded to the bed. The hardest part was to lift up my legs to the bed. But once I was fully laid down on the bed, Amy lowered the blanket down to me.

"I need to go to work, I will be back around 6. But Aaron will be home with you all the time. If you need anything or if you need any help, don't hesitate to ask him, okay?" I nod my head back, even though not in a million years, I would ask my foster parents for help with anything. I have learned that the hard way.

"Get some rest. I will see you, when I get back," she tells me before she walks out

Amy closes the bedroom doors behind her as she leaves. One thing was clear, she wasn't like any other foster mother I have had before. There was something different about the way she was looking at me, talking to me. Her tone of voice was more gentle, she sounded almost like she cares about me.

But that can't be it, right? It must be the pain medication that I'm on right now. They are messing with my head. I'm seeing and hearing things that aren't really there.

What scared me right now, was that I am going to be here alone with Aaron. For more than 9 hours. A lot can happen in 9 hours. A lot of bad things.

What if he decides to walk in the room, while I'm sleeping? What if he wants to hurt me? I can't run from him, walking is hard enough right now. There is no chance I could fight him, he is three times my size. Just because he looks friendly and acts friendly, doesn't mean he won't hurt me. This could be another Liam situation all over again.

I try to turn on my right side so I could watch the doors, but I had to stop, when I felt my ribs and the incision protest against that moment, with pain. I guess I will be sleeping on my back for a while.

My eyes started to feel heaving, once I started to stare up to the ceiling. The warm blanket, soft pillow below my head and the quiet that I was surrounded by was not helping me fight back the sleep.

No, I can't sleep right now. I need to be awake.

I managed to keep my eyes open for another 5 minutes, but after that, I fell asleep. I couldn't fight the sleep away any longer.

I wake up, when I hear the bedroom doors creak open. Afraid to look, I keep my eyes shut, pretending that I am still asleep. That was my defense mechanism- play dead. I hoped that he won't do anything to me, while I'm not awake.

My blood starts to rush faster through my veins, making my heart beat faster, when I hear footsteps coming up to the bed. He walked slowly and quietly.

No, no...please not again! Please no! Please don't hurt me! -I prayed to myself as I listened to him walking up to the bed. Even thought my eyes were shut, I felt how the tears formed in my eyes.

I can't go through it again!

It sounded like he put something down on the nightstand. The next second, I smell food in the air. Then I hear bones cracking. I think it was his knees as he crouched down to the bed.

"Callie?" he asked out quietly, in a soft voice, like he was trying to wake me up "Can you wake up sweetie?" He paused a little, but then cooed softy again "Callie!"

What do I do? Do I pretend not to hear him? Do I wake up? What does he want? What will he do to me? - questions were running in my head

I pretend to wake up – fluttering my eyes open slowly. The first thing I see, is him looking back at me. A smile appears on his lips, when I look back at him. My body is stiff, it was rigid in fear of what he will do. My knuckles had gone white from keeping my hands in tight fists underneath the blanket. I blink my eyes for a moment, staring back at him, without saying anything.

"I made you lunch," he said in a hushed voice "Are you hungry?"

My stomach answered that one, when it growled out loudly. Aaron chuckled at that as he stood up. I relaxed a little bit, but I still was wary of him. I was watching his every move closely.

"Can you sit up?" Aaron asked looking down to me. I nod my head back and start to shift, because I don't want him to think, that I need his help sitting up. The last thing I want, is to feel his hands on me.

When I was sitting up, Aaron took the tray that he had carried up and placed it over my legs.

"Lunch first," He pointed down to the dish that was now in front of me "When you have eaten, I will get you your medication that your doctor prescribed you,"

Looking down to the plate, I was surprised by how much he had made. There were rice on the plate, a pork chop, two salads on the side. I don't even know if I can eat all of this.

"Eat as much as you want," Aaron said while I was still staring down to the plate "I figured you would be hungry after the night you had. And you didn't have any breakfast. So-" he scratched the backed of his head "Eat as much as you want. If you can't eat everything, don't worry about it,"

When I picked up the fork and knife, Aaron was still standing next to the bed. Warily, I look up to him, wondering if he will stand there while I eat. That would be very awkward. I think he understood the look I gave him.

"Oh..uh...I will go make a call. I'll come back in few!" Aaron stuttered out, pointing over his shoulder, when he realized that staring how other people eat is not too polite. I watch him leave, before I dig into the food. The doors stay open this time.

This was the second meal that I have had here and I have to say, it was better than anything I have eaten in the last 4 years. The food actually had taste. Nothing was overcooked or under-cooked. It wasn't too spicy, nor did it lack salt.

Aaron walked back in the room, when I was cleaning up the plate, eating the last bit of food that was on the plate. He was carrying a glass of water and two medications bottles in his hands.

"How was it? Did you like it?" Aaron asked, when he set the water and the medication bottle down on the nightstand. I nodded my head back. Glancing to the two medication bottles, I try to see if those really were mine, if he wasn't trying to give me something else. When I saw my name written on both of them, I let out a breath that I had been holding.

"Good. I'm glad," Aaron said with a smile on his lips as he picked up tray of my legs and put it aside on the nightstand. Then he picked up the bottle and pour out one pill in his palm. He got a pill out from the other bottle as well.

"Take these and then you can go back to sleep," he handed me the glass and pills. I took the pills he gave me, tossed them in my mouth first, before I reached for the glass. The only reasons, why I took the two pills from Aaron so easily, was because I saw him take the pills out of the bottles myself. If he had brought me some two mystery pills and just told me to take them - I would not be so cooperative.

I tried to hand back a half full glass, but Aaron did not take it "Drink all of it, Callie. We need to keep your hydrated," I finished the water, only then Aaron took the glass from my hand.

I waited till Aaron walked back downstairs. Only then I moved my legs over the bed side and got up from the bed to go to bathroom. When I got back to the bedroom, I laid back down in the bed. I pulled the blanket up to my chin and closed my eyes.

"Callie," I hear my name being said in a hushed voice. For a moment, I thought it was in the dream that I was having. But my name was said again, this time, waking me up from my dream. My eyes snap open and I see Amy standing by the bed, looking down at me.

This was the second time today, that I did not hear them walk up to my room. It has never happened before. I am a light sleeper. At least I was before I came to live here. I used to wake up at the slightest noise in the hallways.

I start to sit up, trying to get myself in less vulnerable position

"May I sit down?" she looks down to the side of the bed, when I had managed to sit up, my back against the headrest

"No!" is what I wanted to say, but my lips didn't move. Instead, I nodded my head, because I was afraid to say – no – to her. Disobeying foster parents is never a good idea. Disobeying a foster parents, who is also a cop – is a bad idea. Disobeying a foster parent, who is a cop, and to whom you have already caused a lot of problems – is a horrible idea.

Amy sat down at the very side of the bed. She placed her hands in her lap and smiled at me.

"How did you sleep?" I reply with a shoulder shrug

"Does your chest hurt?" she asked next moment. In return, with a slight hesitation, I shook my head.

"Do you have shortness of breath? Any trouble breathing?" I shook my head again

"Okay, well then..." Amy rubs her palms to her jeans, a sign that she was slightly nervous or anxious about something "I think you and I need to have a serious talk,"

"About what?" I ask warily, scared to hear the answer. My guess was that, she is going to tell me, that they are sending me away. After the trouble I caused them last night - I wouldn't be surprised.

"About what happened on the night I arrested you,"

AN2: So, right now this story is moving on pretty slow. If you feel like it's too slow, let me now - I will pick up the pace.