AN:I need to say few thank you words to you guys. I never imagined, that I would get this kind of response back. I was truly taken aback, taken by surprise by your kind words and your awesome reviews that simply made my day. You - readers- truly are the best. You all reassured me over and over again that i was doing OK job. Only because of you all I got my confidence back. I am also a big Stef & Callie fan, just as big Lena & Jude fan and Stef/Lena shipper. So, i want you to know, i feel the pain i am putting you guys in :D
It sometimes can be hard for people like me, by that I mean- people whose native language is NOT English. I am writing in other language than my mother tongue, so it can get pretty stressful and i am always worried. I always think I will have like bunch of mistakes that will make the story unreadable and so i re-read it myself like 10 times before I even get to the level in my mind that i think I could post it.
With that said, to the guest to who wrote the review in Spanish - I did have to use Google Translate to get the meaning of the message , but i did get it :) Thank you. Also, for future knowledge i speak English, Russian, bit of German, my Natvie Language, but i don't speak Spanish.
To FosterFanaticcc1 - i hope you can wait just 2 more chapters, because i did figure out a away to give you the detailed description of Amy without just writing it blankly to you guys, like out of nowhere. And i have to apologize for not doing it sooner. I did write a small (bad) description in the first story, but i understand how that could already be forgotten (or not read at all)
To the guest who caught up on my mistake - thank you for pointing it out to me(means you are careful reader :) ) It did somehow slip my mind. I somehow did not remember the chapter with Jude getting in trouble at school when i wrote the last chapter. My bad and I apologize. I hope you can look pass the one mistake. I will try to be more careful in the future.
To the guest who asked me to think about making a story about Callie in foster care - i am now thinking about it. But i can't promise anything. Mostly because, at this moment, i do not see this story ending anytime soon. I still have many crazy ideas for this one. But the seed to that story is now planted in my head.
Last thing - please do not feel obligated to review now. And please don't feel guilty that you haven't (you have nothing to feel guilty about). Review if you want to, don't if you don't feel like it. I can't force you to review and i would never want that. Mostly because i am a pretty crappy reviewer myself. So no pressure guys. I am all fired up for some 10 chapters at least :D
This next short story will revolve mostly around Stef &Callie , but will not lack the other characters too. Just have faith in me that i will give you a good dosage of Stef and Callie. Sorry for the delay if you read what i just wrote above, but now please, enjoy the next chapter. I hope you like it :)
Amy POV
April 15th
My legs kicked out and I jot up in the bed. Second later I realize I just had a dream in which you are falling. I shake my head as to how real it feels, then I turn to sleep on my stomach. When I am turning, I noticed the clock on my nightstand shows that it is 4:04 AM. In my mind I calculate that I still have 2 hours and approximately 41 minute of sleep, if I fall asleep right this second.
I was slowly drifting back to sleep, when I heard the doors to my room open and then tip toes inside. I kept my eyes shut as I was listening how Callie walked up to the side of the bed
"It is 4 AM in the morning…what do you want? Go back to sleep!" I mumble in my pillow, eyes still shut
"I went to bed at 8! I am all awake now. Just tell me what happened!" Callie said standing in the darkness, next to my bed
"NO!" I say back and toss the blanket over my back as I was sleeping next to it
"Mom, come on!" Callie whines back
"NO! Go back to bed and let me sleep!" I pull the blanket up to my shoulders
I hear the floor creek and then I feel my bed shift slightly. When I open my eyes, I see that Callie has kneeled down to my head, elbows pressed to my bed side. She was looking at me, being few inches away from my face.
"Ugh" I turn to my back and pull the blanket over my head
"All you have to do-" Now Callie jumps over me to the free side of the bed "-is tell me what happened! Or allow me to watch it! Whichever you want"
"GO TO BED!" I said thought the blanket that I keep over my head. She pulls the blanket out of my hands and away from my head
"Please, it is the last season. I NEED to know what happens! Warehouse 13 is my LIFE! PLEASE, TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PREMIER!" She was being very persistent
"I know you hate spoilers so I won't tell you any spoilers" I reply looking right back at her "I recorded it. You can watch it once you are allowed to."
"That is only-you-know-how-long-away! Please…I am begging you!" she laid down next to me, facing me, inch away from my face
"But I have work in 4 hours. I love you but get the hell out of my bed!" She stares back at me thought the darkness and then just rolls on her other side taking my blanket with her, completely depriving me of my blanket.
"Give me back my blanket" I say leaning up to my elbow, looking at her
"NO!" Callie firmly said back and rolled in my blanket like a cocoon. Great, now she was more angry with me than before. I slump back to the bed, facing away from her, pull my legs up, move one hand under the pillow and try to fall back asleep as she sleeps on the other side of the bed, with my blanket.
But sleeping comes hard as she is shifting in the bed every minute or so, moving the bed with her, making nose and sadly irritating the hell out of me. Messy sleeper - i think to myself and chuckle - her future husband will have a hard time with her. Somehow I do manage to fall asleep. Only to be woken up by my alarm way too soon.
My alarm goes off and I wake up, now little bit cold. I could have used that blanket. I look over my shoulder to where Callie was sleeping. She was no longer there. The blanket was gone too. She took my blanket, unbelievable, sneaky kid.
I make my way to the bathroom, noticing that Callie's room was empty, doors open and she was not there. I go thought my mourning routine and after I get dressed for work I head down to kitchen.
Callie was already sitting there, chewing on her food, her cup of coffee was on her left, newspaper in her hands, plate of pancakes on her right.
"Morning, Callie" I greet her cheerfully walking in. I am not expecting a greeting back.
She lowers the newspaper and looks over the edge of it to me, scoffs and then just raises the newspaper back up. I ignore that for now and walk to the coffee pot. I smelled coffee before i walked in, so I know she made some. I walk to the coffee pot, but it was empty.
I turn to look back at Callie. The newspaper was shielding her face. I look around the room, to look for the leftover pancakes. I saw none.
"I see that you have coffee and pancakes. Did you make some for me too?" I was sure I already know the answer
"No" she says back simply, not looking at me
"I see" I drag slowly "So you made coffee for one and what, 2-3 pancakes?"
"Yes" She says back in the same tone and manner
"Okay" I glance up to the clock. It was 7:30. I walk to the fridge and make myself a quick cheese sandwich. On top I drink some milk. I eat quickly, then hurry up to brush my teeth and grab my gun from the safe.
When I get down, I see Callie already waiting by the doors for me. I grab my keys from the small table by the doors and walk out. She follows me out. I lock the doors as she walks to the car already.
I head up to the car myself too, when I get to the doors to unlock them, I glance over to the other side of the car, to the grumpy teenager. There was a time I really wanted her to act all typical teenager and being upset with me. And now that she is…I feel happy. She has come a long way from the moment she stepped her foot in this home from being scared, guarded, cold, distant, untrusting, not smiling and not laughing kid she was. I had to wait 2 months to actually hear her laugh. Now she was just challenging me every day. And I couldn't be more thankful for that. I smile to myself and open the doors.
I drive out of the driveway and turn off the radio Callie had turned on the moment she had sat in the car.
"Taking my blanket at night and not making me breakfast is one thing. I can live with that" I glance to her briefly, the moment I do, she glances out of the side window avoiding my look
"But making yourself coffee and not saving me any - " I shake my head "In our home that is big NO-NO! And you know it!"
She rolls her eyes once more at me "And stop with the eye rolling or I will poke them out!"
"Uuu, I am scared. Shaking" she says back knowing I was bluffing big time
"Is this really all about the yesterday's premier of the Warehouse 13 ?" I ask her wanting to get to the bottom of this
"IT IS THE LAST SEASON!" she exclaimed loudly, throwing her hands up first and then hit them to the seat, like a little kid throwing a tantrum
"And the grounding is getting to you slowly" I add to her first reason
"Killing me. I AM SO BORED!" she admits and leans her head back to the head rest
"And your period started"
"YES!" she now has tears in her eyes, she got really emotional in just 2 seconds "There, there" I pat her knee softly with my right and then joke "Only some 35 years of that"
"Can we buy chocolate after my physical therapy today? Or before?" she asks looking sadly at me "Of course. Big box, I will get your favorite."
I walk in the precinct with a cheap cup of coffee I bought just right across the street from the Anchor Beach, from the small tea and coffee shop. It was horrible, but I needed a morning coffee badly.
"Wow, you must be desperate" Stef smirks at me as I walk up. I sip the coffee and then ask"Why?"
"That coffee from across the school is the worst coffee in the whole city!" he points to the label on the coffee cup.
I chuckle and shrug it off "When you need caffeine shot, you need caffeine shot"
I place the cup down and sit down by my desk "How was your birthday celebration?"
"I don't think it counted as a celebration" she says tapping the pen on the file "But Lena did make me a cake. The kids at most of it." she added sadly but then looked up to me happy "But I got one slice. Which is good, cake is not good for my hips" she jokes "But, no…it was just the way I like it. Glass of red wine, evening with my family…perfect"
"Good to hear"
"Oh, and thank you again for your gift. We looked up the spa. It looks amazing. Thank you"
"You both need a break every once in a while. You may love your 5 kids, but you can love them from afar for two days" I joke back and start to write a report from yesterday.
"I would have called her, but since she doesn't have her phone, can you give a big thanks to Callie too" I looked up to her, not sure what she is talking about
"What for?" I ask back
"The photos and the letter" she says like it is something obvious
"What photos? And what letter?" this was now getting interesting. I was curious "The spa gift card was from both of us. It was her idea"
"N-No...there was an envelope in the mail box from her"
"Are you serious?" I was thinking she was playing me
"Yeah. She got me all of the photos from the day they were in the skate park. Pile of photos actually. Took us almost hour to go thought them all."
"Printed out photos that you can hold in your hand?" I ask as I lean back in the chair, holding my pen between my index fingers
"Yes. Also there was a hand written – horrible hand writing if I may add – letter that was basically a big apology letter about the night. Very sincere and emotional, and sweet. Got both of us to cry actually." I just stare back at her. I had no idea Callie got separate gift for Stef's birthday, but now that I think back, i think i know when she wrote the letter.
Flashback
8 days ago
It was the middle of the night. I had woken up because I needed to go to bathroom. On my way back to my room I noticed that there was light coming out from under Callie's bedroom doors. It was around 3 AM there was no reason she should be awake by this time of night.
I made my way to the room, I knocked once and then opened the doors without waiting for too long.
The room was a mess. All the drawers from her desk were on the floor. All the content of the drawers, was now separated into three smaller piles. The light on her desk was on. Callie was stretched out flat on her stomach on the ground, with some paper in front of her. Pen in hand. The moment I took another step in, she sat up on her knees and turned the paper upside down.
"Callie…what are you doing?" I ask her watching her closely
"Cleaning my desk" she says now moving the piece of paper to her right side, further away from me, hiding it form me "At 3 in the night?"
"I felt like doing that. You asked me to clean my desk days ago" she replies back looking straight to my eyes
"Are you…crying?" I ask noticing her red, puffy eyes
"No" she tilts her head down and wipes her left hand over her cheek. This was clearly odd to say the least.
"Why are you not sleeping?" I ask placing my hands in my PJ pants pockets
"Not tired" she answers quickly. I stood there debating with myself what to do or say to her. It clearly looked like she was in the middle of something when I walked in. And she was not ready to tell me what it was.
"Okay" I nod back, as I had decided to let her be "Good Night" I say turning around
"Night" she mumbles back before I walk out and close the doors after myself.
End of flashback
It was just few days after her cast was off and she could actually write, not neatly, no chance of winning in calligraphy, but she could at least hold her pen. I bet Mackenzie helped her get the pictures edited and printed out. I bet she sent the letter out for Callie too.
"Huh" I smile at myself at the sweet gesture from her "Got you to tears you say?"
"Yeah. Not going to deny it. Lena cried more thou" She smirks at the end.
"Of course she did" I say back to her playing along that little lie. I pull the top drawer open and take Callie's phone out. I look at it in my hands. Stef looks to me and the phone in my hand, but doesn't say anything.
That was basically all I wanted from her. So she would apologizes from all of her heart to them, not just a simple sorry. She needed to mean every single word she says. That she realizes how badly things could turn out. That she realizes what was at stake. I guess this letter was exactly what I was waiting for her to do.
I place the phone on the desk, so I would remember it after my shift.
Right before I was going to leave for the day, Captain Roberts and a guy in a suit walks up "Amy, where you going?" she asks me as I was already ready to go, bag over my shoulder already
"Um...is this a trick questions?" I ask setting the bag down
"No" She replies and looks to the gentleman next to her "This is Mr. Davis, he is here to prepare you for the trial of the domestic case you and Stef dealt with last Thursday"
"OH!" It had totally slipped my mind "Right, I forgot." I glance to the clock on the wall in the break room "But can't Stef do the preparation today and I will do it tomorrow—"
"Stef already did it, yesterday. She stayed back for hour. Now it is your time" Captain says to me. I briefly look back to Stef who was now also standing up "You stayed hour longer on your birthday?"
"It gave Lena time to make the cake" Stef jokes and starts to get ready to leave herself
"But...but I need to pick up Callie. She has physical therapy in like…25 minutes" I still needed to buy the chocolate for Callie. I hadn't planned this in my schedule.
"She can walk" Mr. Davis says. I stared back at the guy, wondering if I should tell the circumstance but I decide against it. He didn't need to know.
"I can take her" Stef offers kindly "You will be done by the time she is. I can say thanks to her myself. You can pick her up after."
"You would do that?" I question her kindness, which was kind of silly of me.
"Of course, no problem at all"
"That's very kind of you. Thank you" I reply after I reconsidered the offer.
Stef POV
I pull up to the school. I instantly see Callie by the side of the school. She is leaned back to the school wall, by the school parking lot. Her left leg bent and pressed to the wall.
I push the horn to get her attention to me. I was parked by the street, just outside the school territory. She looks up to the street. Callie looks straight at me, but is not moving from her spot. Then she glances around the area, probably looking if some of my own kids aren't there.
I roll down the window and call out loud enough so she could hear me "You coming or NOT!"
That not only got Callie's attention but some other people who were walking on the sidewalk. Those people just looked to me like I was crazy or something.
Callie started to move. She walked out of the school yard and walked up to my side of the car, but she didn't get in at first. She leaned down and looked thought the rolled down window to me
"Where is my mom?" she looks in car to me and then even glances to the backseat
"Busy at work. She asked me to take you to your appointment. Get in" I say and lean over the passenger side and open the doors
She swings her bag off her shoulder, gets in the car placing the bag in her lap. I don't have to remind her to use the seat belt.
As I drive out she asks "How come she is busy and you are not? Aren't you two partners?"
"She is preparing for a trial. I did my preparation yesterday. Today it is her turn. Don't worry, she will pick you up after your appointment."
"I'm not worried" she says back confident and then glances out of the side window that she rolled back up.
After some few minutes she asks warily "H-How…was your birthday?"
"It was good. I had a cake and glass of wine and we all watched a movie together. It was nice"
"What about…gifts?" she once again asks warily and quietly. I peak a look to her, she looked nervous.
"Oh, I got your gift. It was an amazing gift. It took us hour to go thought all of the pictures. All of them were great. You are an amazing photographer"
"Frankie pushed the button for most of them" she takes the credit away from herself. She was very modest.
"I think the best part was your letter" I say and glance to her briefly, she was looking back to me. Her eyes told me she was anxious about what I was going to say next. She didn't hold the eye contact for long, second later she was looking down to her bag and her left hand run over her nose bridge
"Lena loved it too" I say now concentrating back on the road "It meat very much to us. It was very sincere and sweet, hard to read because of the handwriting, but, you know, we understand why is that." I briefly look to her splint that was now on her hand instead of the cast.
"For your information, we forgave you a long time ago. And that letter alone, made you jump back on the same level of trust you were before. If not even higher " I reassure her
I stop at the red light and turn to look at her. There was a small, barely visible smile on her lips. I pat her knee quickly, before I need to continue to drive
"And that line, where you questioned us, if we ever want to see you again, whether we want anything to do with you..." She looks warily to me
"You are part of our life Callie. We want as much as possible to do with you. You are still very much welcome to our home, once the grounding ends of course. But we still want you in our lives, nothing has changed. You wiggled your way in and now you are stuck with us" I say softly to her and pat her knee one last time.
I take my hand back and drive out at the green light
"Really?" she asks me to make sure I was not bluffing or just playing her. She had pretty obvious trust issues and she has trouble believing people. She was always worried if people are not lying to her or just playing her. For that she, just like the twins, needed to thank the foster care she was in for few years.
"Really, really. You made a mistake. Okay, a big one, but you regret it. And you understand the consequences and you realize what could have happened, don't you?"
"Yes" she doesn't hesitate to answer that and in the corner of my eye I see her nod back
"And most importantly you apologized, sincerely." I say just when I pull in the parking lot of the building. "So we-" I say pointing between me and her, after I have stopped the car "-are good. Okay?"
"Okay" she says and then also nods to me.
"Good. Okay, let's go" I say unbuckling and pulling the key out of ignition
She had opened the doors already "Y-You….don't have to come"
"I am coming with" I say and get out first "That is not really up to you, kiddo"
I follow Callie inside the building. She walks straight to the elevator.
"You can't walk up few flight of stairs?" I say teasingly, getting inside the elevator with her
"I can, but I like to ride elevators. It's fun and I get to press the button" she says pressing the 4th floor button. The elevator doors closes and it starts to moves up.
"So, if I had pressed the level button for you, you would be upset with me?"
"Yes" she says seriously, not looking to me, but then the elevator stops suddenly.
We both feel as the walls around us start to shake. It feels like the whole building, the ground under the building and around it shakes too. The lights start to flicker in the elevator as it is still shaking hard, but then the lights go out completely. I hear Callie mumbling something to herself in the dark, but then luckily after a minute the lights come back up.
"Whoa…what's happening?" she asks me now hands pressed to sides of the elevator, as the elevator is still shaking, she is slightly bend in the knees to get better balance
"Earthquake!" I say as I was now standing back to the side wall too.
The shaking stops few seconds later. I look over to the panel that was at the right side, where Callie was standing. Callie looked like she has frozen for the moment with a horrified look on her face, her eyes moving fast from one wall to other, then to ground then back to walls.
"Are we going to fall!?" she asks with a shaky voice
"No, we are not." I say back, trying to calm her. I glance to her right side, where the panel was. For a moment I thought I would ask her to press the button, but she looked too scared. So I move to the other side of the elevator, to the panel and hit the big and red emergency button few times.
I had a bad feeling we were between floors. Which was not god, rescue won't be able to get to us that easy. But I was not going to tell that to Callie, who already looked scared. I completely understood her fear. Being trapped is not something anyone looks forward to.
I automatically reached for my radio on my shoulder "Demit" I say out loud as I had taken the belt and radio off. Next I reach for my phone. When I unlock it, I automatically look if I have a signal.
There was none, like very often in elevators. I wanted to ask Callie to look at hers, but then I remember she doesn't have her phone. I hold the phone up, thinking I could maybe, somewhere, someplace catch at least one bar.
"You know what I like?" Callie asks as she was now standing straight up, looking up the ceilings
"No, what do you like?" I ask back keeping the conversation going, still holding the phone up, looking to catch a signal
"Air…I like air." She says and then looks to me with even more horrified and panic filled look on her face.