Amy POV
June 13th
"Do I have to go?" Callie whined and slumped a bit lower on the chair and gripped her backpack close to her chest. She was sitting on the chair at the end of my desk in the precinct. I was still working. As of the moment, I was writing a report that I had put off before. There was a small pile of files on my desk as well that I had to finish today, before I head out. Stef was sitting at her desk, writing her reports and probably enjoying the little show Callie and I were putting on.
"Yes!" I stated back without lifting my head up. Today is another Anger Management class. For Callie it will be her fifth. There was just one problem. Callie hated those classes and she had no problem declaring loud and clear just how much she hates going to them.
"But I don't want to!" she tilted head head back
"That changes nothing!"
"You could call them and inform them that I'm sick or-"
"No!" I interrupted before she could finish her thought
"Just this once-"
"No!"
"Pleeeeease!" Callie dragged out as she leaned on my desk. Her fingers fiddled with the yellow stripes on my left sleeve for a little while.
"No!" I did not back down as I continued to write the report
"Officer Adams Foster?" Callie turned to my partner with pleading eyes "Could you tell Amy that-"
"Oh-no!" I stopped writing and pointed my pen to Callie "Don't you dare to drag her into this. She has nothing to do with it. It won't work!"
My partner stopped writing her report and looked up to Callie "I would love to help you kid, but my hands are tied. You should listen to your mom!" Stef replied "You can call me Stef, by the way," my partner winked at the girl before she returned her attention to the report in for of her
"Callie," I turned to the girl, when I set my pen down on the desk to have free hands "I know you hate it, but you have to go. It's not up for a discussion and you know it! So, please, stop whining about it and go," Callie crossed her arms on her chest and put on a pout, letting me know just how much she doesn't like it. I could swear, she gets more stubborn each day.
"I do not want to see you being taken away from me. So...if you won't go willingly, I will drag your cute, little butt to the class no matter what. I'm not afraid to use the handcuffs. Is that clear?"
"Uuoooh, snap!" Came a voice from Stef. Callie and I both glanced to her quickly at her sound affects.
"Did I say that out loud?" Stef chuckled awkwardly "Never mind me. Carry on," she looked down and pretended to read what she had written in the report
"I don't like it," Callie said in a small voice, when she looked at me
When our eyes met, she started to whine all over again, trying to play to my emotions "Those classes are stupid! They are boring! The teacher has nose hair that is sticking out and it's disgusting to look at! The room smells like fish ever since that one dude brought a fish to the class and ate it. I think he hid another fish in the vents or something..."
I placed my hand on her cheek "Only 5 more times after this one, pumpkin," I said softly "Then it's done. Carl will leave us alone after that."
"This sucks!" Callie stated loud and clearly as she stood up. Some other officers in the room looked at us as well, including Captain Roberts, who had been going over some file with one of the detectives few desks over.
"I love you. Now go, before you are late!"
"Ugh!" Callie rolled her eyes as she threw her backpack over her shoulder "Love you too," she mumbled before she turned around
"That sounded so genuine," I called after her with a small laughed in my voice. Callie just waved her hand in the air as she was walking away.
"I will pick you up at 6:30!" I yelled out before she had left the room. Callie raised her arm up and showed thumbs up right before she left the room.
When I turned back to the desk, I saw Stef grinning at me "What?" I asked as I picked up the pen
"She must be a handful," Stef chuckled
"You have no idea!" I fiddled the pen between my fingers and looked the direction Callie walked off
"But I have to say, she seemed much more comfortable, compared to when I last saw her. Less scared. Definitely more talkative. More opinionated. Stubborn," Stef smirked at me
I turned back to Stef "Yeah..." I dragged as I thought about it "She's completely different person then when I met her. Callie opens up more each day. And each day, each time I learn something new about her - I'm loving that kid more and more," I admitted averting my look down to the report "Honestly, I can imagine my life without her anymore. Just thinking about her not being in my life – hurts! I don't want for anyone – her PO Carl, the CPS worker Sydney Fields, her social worker David – to ever take her away!" I looked up to Stef, who was now listening to me carefully and looking at me seriously
"Well..." Stef wiggled in her chair a bit and pressed her forearms on the desk, leaning a bit closer towards me "...to me it's pretty obvious, what you have to do. I think you know what I mean," she said and slightly moved up her eyebrows
I nodded my head back as I smiled at her "I do!" Little did Stef know that everything was already set in motion
"Do you want something from the vending machine?" Stef asked reaching for her wallet, that stood at the end of her desk
"Um...a snicker would be nice,"
"One snicker. Got it!" She pushed her chair back
When she was walking away, I reached for the top drawer and opened it. At the very top stood the song lyrics and notes, that Callie started teaching me last weekend. We started with the notes and how to play them on the guitar. That took the longest. Now, I'm in the process of learning the lyrics and putting it all together. Callie has no idea, what I was planning and I wanted to keep it that way. I want it to be a surprise.
I heard the song on American Idol last weekend, when I was watching reruns. The song spoke to me on much deeper level than any song has ever spoken to me. It was perfect. After I first heard it the night Phillip Phillips played it on the show live, it never left my head. That night I could barely close my eyes.
The lyrics seemed perfect match to our situation. I want to give Callie a permanent home. Someplace she can always return, someplace she will always be welcomed. I want my home to be her home as well. As the lyrics say – this will be an unfamiliar road to us. To both to us. We will walk into the unknown together, hand in hand. I want to take this road together with her. Life will surely put obstacles and bumps on the road for us, but together, I had no doubt, we will get through everything. Callie has her daemons, her secrets, her past experiences with foster parents, her pain of losing her mother and her father killing her mother – but she can overcome all of it and become a stronger person. With a little bit of help, support, love – everything is possible.
I want others to know that we're family, without us having to explain it
I want to have the bond with her, that people get from sharing the same name.
Just know you're not alone
'Cause I'm gonna make this place your home
Reading those last lines of the lyrics, made me want the weekend to come faster. I couldn't wait to ask Callie.
~o~o~o~
It was finally Sunday and I couldn't be more excited about it. My stomach felt weird because of how anxious and jittery I felt. I wasn't scared or anything. I have been waiting for this day, for this moment so long, that I could no longer contain myself.
I played the last chords of my last rehearsal before the real deal. Sure, my singing was pretty awful. That was a well known fact. I have never been much of a singer. When I went to school, I was thrown out of choir two times. My guitar skill is pretty bad as well, but I only have studied for few short days. This is the best I could do on the short notice. Callie did try her best to teach me it. She's not a bad teacher, I'm simply a bad student. Music was not my thing, but it was Callie's. So, I hope it will something extra to this whole thing.
I set the guitar down on my bed and stood up.
I shook my hands in the air as I paced around the room, trying to calm myself down a bit. Closing my eyes, I took few calming and deep breathes as I tried to get my racing heart to slow down a bit.
"Okay. Lets do this!" I told myself as I opened my eyes
Callie was downstairs watching TV. I walked to the doors, opened them and set one foot out of my bedroom.
"Callie! Come up here, please!" I called out, then listened if she heard me. When I heard her footsteps coming towards the stairs, I walked back inside my room. I walked over to my desk, picked up the chair that stood by it and carried it to the middle of the room.
"Where are you?" Callie called out, when she had reached the second floor
"In here!" I said rubbing my hands against my sweatpants
"What's up?" She asked walking in
"Sit!" I told her as I put my hands on the backrest of the chair "Sit," I repeated smiling at her
Callie eyes my suspiciously as she walks over to me and sits down on the chair. She laughed softly as I hurry around the chair to the bed.
"Should I go get Mrs. Fletcher from next door, so you would have bigger audience?" Callie asked me jokingly, not knowing what I was planning
"You are the only audience I need for this," I replied as I got comfortable on the bed "Just don't laugh, okay?" I asked her and adjusted the guitar over my knee "It is my first time singing and playing guitar in front of someone…please, don't laugh!" I said seriously as I looked at her. If she laughs or says something in between, it can completely knock my out of my zone. I don't know how to pick up the song from the middle, so then it would be ruined as I would have to start it all over again. Once that would happen, I will be feeling less confident about my ability to do it and will fail miserably.
"I won't," Callie replied back looking me straight in the eye "I promise," she added and offered me a small smile
"Okay. Here I go," I said to myself and cleared my throat before I start to strum the guitar strings. Because I lack the skill and experience, my eyes mostly were on the guitar not on Callie. Whenever I could, I did quickly avert my eyes to her. I hope she can forgive me for that. I was doing my best.
Hold on, to me as we go
As we roll down this unfamiliar road
And although this wave is stringing us along
Just know you're not alone
Cause I'm going to make this place your home
Settle down, it'll all be clear
Don't pay no mind to the demons
They fill you with fear
The trouble it might drag you down
If you get lost, you can always be found
Just know you're not alone
Cause I'm going to make this place your home
Settle down, it'll all be clear
Don't pay no mind to the demons
They fill you with fear
The trouble it might drag you down
If you get lost, you can always be found
Just know you're not alone
Cause I'm going to make this place your home
Once I'm done, I set my eyes on Callie and wait for her response, hoping she got my message underneath the song. Her face was pretty much blank. I could not read her. Could not tell if she got what I was asking, if she liked it.
"Well?" I asked as I set the guitar down on the bed
"You clearly suck at singing," Callie answered honestly
That was nothing new, so I just shrugged my shoulders "I know, but…but what do you say?" I asked and scooted a bit closer to the edge of the bed and leaned towards her a bit "Do you want to?" my voice was filled with hope as I just could not contain myself
Callie stared at me for couple of seconds, without saying anything. I could not take my eyes off her, I was holding my breath. She looked down to the floor for a moment. Her hand flew up to her face and she rubbed the bridge of her nose.
"If you had just asked me you would have saved my eardrums," Callie replied as she gazed back at me. While she wasn't smiling, her eyes were. I could tell she understood what I asked her. The happiness I felt grew with every passing second.
"But what fun would that be," I laughed and moved off the bed. I kneeled in front of Callie, took her hands in mine and looked deep into to her eyes "Plus, we have an amazing story…that is, if you want to. If you agree?"
Callie nods back vigorously as the smile on her face started to grow bigger and bigger.
"Yeah?" I asked for conformation as I squeezed her hands a bit tighter in mine
"Yes!" Callie says happily. She was glowing.
I jump up and pull the girl in big hug, squeezing the hell out of her. Her arms wrap around me as well. The hug was not enough, so I started to squeeze her more tighter and kiss her cheeks over and over, and over again, making her giggle. I loved the sound of her laughter. My cheeks started to hurt from how bright and I wide I was smiling.
After a moment of us hugging and kissing each other, Callie pulls out of the hug. My hands now rest on her cheeks, while hers rest on my upper arms. Our bodies were still close to each other.
"But you have to give me the lyrics so I can sing this song properly when we retell this story to people," Callie told me in a very serious tone. The fact that she was already thinking about retelling the story to others, gave me a new wave of happiness.
"Deal!" I agreed without a hesitation "I tell the story, but you will play it and sing our song."
"Our song," Callie repeats my words quietly to herself. She looked to be deep in her though for a short moment. Her eyes were looking somewhere pass me, somewhere in the distance. The corners of her mouth move upright, forming smile.
"I like it," Callie says looking back at me "We have a song!" Callie said as I placed another kiss on her forehead
"Callie Quinn Scott," I wonder out loud, wanting to try out how it will sound "How cool will you sound, eh?"
"Callie Quinn Scott," Callie repeats as well trying the sound of it "It sounds perfect. I love it."
"Sounds perfect to me as well!" I whisper as I pull the girl in another hug, lift her up and spun her around
AN: This chapter marks the beginning of the end, because I do not plan on continue this story once Callie's adopted. The adoption process will take multiple chapters (pretty sure I will get to 50), but we are getting closer to end. Just a heads up.
Song: Home by Phillip Philllips
Hope you enjoyed the chapter :)
AN2: It would be very helpful, if you could fill the poll I put on. Thank you.