AN: Wow! Thank you guys for the nice words! I was stunned by your respone. Truly appriciete the support. You are amazing. From the bottom of my heart - thank you!

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Amy POV

Nothing could have prepared me to, what Callie had disclosed to me.

She was only 14 years old. Still a kid. Yet she has suffered one of the worst crimes there is. It wasn't a stranger, who hurt her. It was someone, who she knew, someone she lived with. Possibly someone, who she had trusted.

Now I know, possibly, the main reason why Callie had been so guarded, cautions and distrustful, why she had been so against touch or why hadn't she liked being alone with Aaron and Markus. Liam didn't just physically and sexually assault her. He traumatized her, leaving scars that couldn't be seen on her body. Liam robbed her of her sense of security in the worst possible way there is.

Sudden fear, that I may not be able to help her on my own, crossed my mind. Of course I will do everything possible to help her and I will support her, but there is only so much I can do. Callie may need professional help to help deal with the trauma.

"Thank you for telling me," I spoke softy, simultaneously rubbing my thumbs over her palms to sooth her "I'm so sorry that happened to you!" I added without taking my eyes off the scared girl

"You...you believe me?" Callie stammered in disbelief

"Yes, I believe you, honey!" I replied readily "I believe you!" We had a little stare down. I could see in Callie's eyes, how she tried to read me, to tell if I truly meant it.

Our eye contact lasted for couple of more seconds, till she turned her head to look away from me. That was, when I felt the small ache in my legs. It reminded me that I was still crouched down by her. I took my right palm away from her hand and reached behind me to the coffee table. Once I had gripped the side of the coffee table, I pulled it closer to me and sat down on the edge of it. When I had sat down, I reached back to her hand and continued to rub my thumb gently over her palm.

Callie turned her head back to me, but her eyes were averted down to our hands "You are probably disgusted by me," Callie said in a hushed voice

"Do you see yourself that way?" I asked gently, with extra care

All Callie did, was shrug her shoulders a little. She didn't look up to me. In my mind I added low self esteem and loss of confidence to the list of aftereffect of the rape.

"You are certainly not disgusting, Callie!" I assured her, when I took my right hand off her hand and reached out to her cheek. She closed her eyes. I brushed my fingers to her cheek gently. If I hadn't been paying such close attention to the girl, I would have missed, how she leaned her head towards my palm a wee bit closer.

"You are beautiful inside out!" I complimented her as I tucked some hair, that was covering part of her face, behind her ear

Callie opened her eyes to look back at me "You really think that?"

"I really do!" I confirmed, but by the look in her eyes, I could tell she doesn't see herself that way. She didn't believe me.

Callie admitted in a quiet voice the next moment "Liam said I was beautiful too. I haven't felt beautiful ever since he..." she trailed off as she averted her eyes down, no longer capable of holding the eye contact

I sighed sadly and ran my fingers over the hair that went around her ear few times "One day," I said in a hushed and soft voice "You will feel beautiful again!" Callie raised her head to look at me, asking me with her eyes - when will that be?

"Until that happens, I'm going to remind you every single day just how amazing, smart and beautiful you are Callie!"

Her look changed. She seemed puzzled. Her forehead was frowned up a bit. Few times her mouth parted, like she wanted to say something, but changed her mind at the last second. It was couple of seconds later, when Callie finally voiced her thoughts "You mean, you still want me?"

"Of course I still want you!" I said without any hesitation in a bit louder and firmer voice, so Callie wouldn't get any more silly ideas "Why did you think that I wouldn't?

Callie shrugged her shoulders at first "I'm...I just thought that you...you wouldn't want someone like me. Someone, who is so...damaged," Callie replied looking down to our hands

"We're all damaged, Callie," It was my first response, but I knew, it wasn't good enough the second those words left my mouth. So tried to comfort the girl again. "Remember, the talk we had the other day, when I found about the F you had gotten? I told you I was slightly disappointed in you,"

"Yes," Callie nodded her head, looking slightly confused. She kept her eyes on me, wondering where I was going with this.

"What did I tell you in the end?" I asked briefly looking down to our hands

"Um.." Callie looked sideways, she ran her tongue over her lips "That, uh, that no matter what happens, it wouldn't change the way you feel about me," she replied timidly, when she looked back at me

"And how do I feel about you?" I tilted my head a little to my left side, looked right to her eyes

"You care about me?" Callie answered even more timidly than before. It actually sounded more like a question than a statement, that's how unsure she was about it.

"That's right! I care about you!" I assured her tightening the grip on her hands a bit more "And I will always care about you! Nothing will change that!"

I shifted a little in my seat "Callie, can I ask," I started slowly, making sure Callie doesn't feel pressured or obligated to answer "When did it happen? Was it the day we met or before that?"

"2 weeks before we met," Callie replied, her voice small and quiet

She answered my questions and I wasn't expecting for Callie to continue on with her story, but I made sure Callie had my full attention, when she did "He was the first bio-kid, that actually talked to me and didn't treat me like I was nothing. Liam acknowledge me. He would take me to movies or beach. Other times we would just walk together and talk. When school was still on, he would hide candy in my lunch bag, just so I would remember him, when I was at school. He simply spent time with me and I liked it."

"I trusted him," Callie added after a moment. Her voice clearly stated that it was a mistake.

Callie detained a pause after that. I could see in her eyes, she was thinking back to that time. Possibly regretting the choices she had made.

She took a deep breath in and after she sighed, she continued on with the stroy "The first time he kissed me, I told him that we couldn't do it. That it was against the rules. But he said we would keep it a secret just between us," Callie shrugged "And I went with it," Her chin quivered "I liked the affection, the attention he gave me,"

"There is nothing wrong with that. Everyone wants affection and attention. Everyone wants to be loved and cared for. Especicially kids. There is nothing wrong with that,"

What was obvious, but what I didn't tell her, was that Liam exploit her weakness and used it to get close to her, to gain her trust. Only to later use the trust he had gained, to hurt her.

"His parents went out to some dinner with friends one day. Which left me and him alone in the house. I was in the living room, doing my summer reading," Her eyes traveled to the book that was behind me on the coffee table "Liam came down and we started talking. He said he wanted to show me something," Callie's eyes traveled back to mine "I went with him to his room. Once we were there, he closed the doors,"

"You are doing great, honey," I encouraged her, when I felt that she was starting to have trouble retelling the story

"Liam said that I owe him, for what he had done for me. For how his family took me in and how he had treated me. He expected something in return. Next thing I know, I was on his bed, he was on top of me. We were kissing. But then he wanted more. I told him—I told him, I was ready...I didn't want to...I said no," she shook her head as she became more emotional "I tried to get away, but he's two times my size and so much stronger than me. That's when he forced himself on me,"

"It wasn't your fault. What Liam did to you – it wasn't your fault!"

"But I kissed him. I was okay with that," She admitted shamefully "I flirted with him. I liked the attention he gave me! I lead him on!"

"None of those, was a reason for him to rape you," Callie cringed visibly at the name rape "It's important that you understand, that it wasn't your fault, that it happened. It was Liam's! He was an adult, you were only a kid. He forced you to do stuff, that you weren't ready for. You told him you weren't ready and he didn't listen to you. The moment you said – no – he should have stopped! If he had cared for you, he should have stopped!"

"It still feels like it was my fault," Callie whispered out

"It isn't!" I leaned towards her. She put her chin on my shoulder, when I wrapped my hands around her, holding her close to me "It's not your fault," I whispered in her ear as I ran one hand up and down her back, but other I put on the back of her head "Not your fault, baby!"

I felt Callie grip the back of my shirt as she buried her head in my neck and sniffed out.

~o~o~o~

It was some half an hour later. Callie and I were on the living room couch. I was laid down on my back, my head was on the pillow, that was pressed against the arm holder at one end of the couch. Callie was cuddling up to me. She was on her left side, squeezed in between me and the backrest of the couch. Her head rested on my chest, right arm was wrapped around my stomach. My shirt was clenched inside her fist. My right hand rested on Callie's right shoulder, but I was running my left hand gently up and down her right arm.

We hadn't talked for a while now.

I kept scolding myself over and over again, how I hadn't seen it, when I met Callie. Deep down I had a feeling, that something wasn't right. It wasn't just the cop that felt it, it was the maternal instinct as well. Callie's anger that day was focused so much on Liam. I kept wondering, how things could have turned out, if I had pushed her just a little bit more for an answer about that day, if I had a bit more time with her. Things could have turned out differently. Maybe she wouldn't have been put in Juvie and maybe Liam would have been arrested for rape.

Now, it was 7 months after it happened. There was no evidence. No witnesses. There's not one thing, that would confirm Callie's story. It would be Callie's word against Liam's. I know the system, I know how these kind of trails go. The rapists usually walks, unless there is some solid evidence. But in Callie's case, there is no evidence at all. It would be Liam's word against hers. And in the judges eyes, Liam would look like the victim, because Callie attacked him and damaged his property. It's the delinquent foster kid versus the model citizen.

I clenched my jaw as I thought about how the trail would go. It just made me so furious.

As a cop and as her foster parent, I am obliged to report this. I know Callie won't like it, but I have to. It's my job. I would like nothing else than to see Liam go down for what he did. He deserves to be punished. I will have to talk to Callie about pressing charges. I'm not even sure if I want Callie to go to trail, because I know how it would go. But facing Liam, doing the right thing, standing up to him – that could be, what Callie needs to deal with it, to truly put it behind her. She would know, that she did everything she could. No matter the outcome. It could put her mind at ease. But it would be so hard on her...

"Amy?" Callie spoke up so quietly, I almost missed it

"Yeah?" I looked down to the girl, who had moved her head so she could look up to me

"Could you maybe..." she trailed off "Never mind. It's stupid," I could tell she got scared, that's why she didn't ask me what she wanted

"I'm sure it isn't stupid. Go ahead," I encouraged her as with my left I stroked her hair "What did you want to ask me?"

It took Callie few seconds to gather up the courage "I was just thinking," Callie started shyly "Maybe if you could read it to me," her voice had got more quiet with each word "I'm not sure that it would help, but maybe it will..."

I glanced to the coffee table, where the book still stood. With my left hand I reached for the book, brought it closer to me and looked at the cover of the book.

"I can do that!" I smiled when I looked back at the young girl "Do you want me to start at the beginning or from where you left off?"

"The start?" she asked timidly

"Okay. Let me just sit up a bit," I said and shifted in my spot, showing Callie I wanted to change my position. Callie leaned off of me and allowed me to sit up a bit, so I wouldn't be completely laid down.

"Get comfy," I instructed softly with a smile as I looked at her. Callie scooted up a bit and lowered her head to my right shoulder.

Before I opened the book, I kissed the top of her head. I held the book mostly with my left. My left hand touched the right corner of the book softly, only to steady it, as my arm was still wrapped around Callie.

"If you're starting to have bad memories, tell me!"

"Mm-hmm," Callie hummed back

I cleared my throat before I started to read out loudly for Callie "Mr. Jones, of the Manor Farm, had locked the hen-houses for the night, but was too drunk to remember to shut the popholes. With the ring of light, from his lantern dancing from side to side, he lurched across the yard-"