"What do you mean attacked?" Lena asked as she answered Stef's call.
"Bruises on her face, wrist and god knows where else." Stef answered sadly. "I'm pretty sure it was one of the Johns but she because so angry and defensive and then she took off."
"Couldn't you arrest her or something?" Lena asked, hating the fact that the girl was now missing and would probably stay hidden for a while at least.
"On what grounds Lena?" Stef questioned. "She hasn't done anything - at least not that I have any proof and I can't arrest her for being a victim of abuse."
"Just make up an excuse, don't let her run." Lena replied, knowing herself that she sounded ridiculous.
"I searched her name in the system but she hasn't been arrested before so we don't have any records of her." Stef continued. "That is, if Callie even is her real name. For all I know she's made that up too."
"What else do we know about her?" Lena asked, trying to think back to whatever Stef had mentioned.
"She has a dad and a brother." Stef replied.
"Do you think one of them could have hurt her?" Lena asked worriedly.
"I don't think so." Stef answered. "She said it was a one-time fight and the people she worked with said she never came in with bruises that they saw and she never seemed to be in pain."
"But you said they didn't realize it this time either." Lena pointed out.
"I asked if she ever wore makeup like she did today and they said no." Stef replied. "In fact one of the girls apparently even teased her this morning about having a hot date because of all the makeup."
"So what now?" Lena asked, wondering what Stef could do for this child.
"Now we wait and hope that she comes to her senses." Stef replied dejectedly. "I'll check the streets and go back to the store but I'm pretty sure she won't turn up. She's not stupid - she'll find another place to work. There are so many areas like that and we just can't check every single one of them."
"CALLIE!" Jude ran to his sister in excitement, waving a sheet of paper in front of him and shoving it into her hands the moment he reached her. "I got an A- on my fractions quiz." He answered excitedly.
"That's amazing Jude." Callie said in delight as she momentarily forgot her problems and shared her brother's joy. "I'm so proud of you, how did you manage this, I know I'm not that good a teacher."
"Lena taught me." Jude answered, taking the page back and carefully folding it up to put in his backpack.
"Lena taught you fractions?" Callie asked in surprise. Jude had never mentioned that.
"Not really." Jude answered. "While we were making the apple cinnamon rolls the other day I was following the recipe and I was gonna do something wrong and she told me when you have a whole number then the greater the number the higher the value but when you have fractions the greater the denominator the smaller the value so one upon two is more than one upon three but if it was just two and three then three would be greater." He explained in detail, remembering Lena's lesson. "Today's test was all 'greater than, less than' so it was easy."
"That's great baby." Callie said, feeling somewhat heartbroken at having to tear Jude away from a woman he'd clearly grown close to. She herself was feeling an ache at never seeing Stef again but she'd created this mess and now she had to fix it, no matter what the cost.
"Can I go over again today?" Jude asked. "Lena gonna be baking a cake for Brandon's birthday on Sunday and I'm sure she could use my help."
"I don't think so baby." Callie answered, wishing she could say yes this one last time. But they just didn't have the time and she couldn't risk letting Jude go there either.
"Please Callie." Jude begged in much the same way he'd begged before. "I want to show her my test too and tell her that she helped me."
"I'm sorry Jude, but not today okay." Callie answered. "We have something we really need to do."
"What?" Jude asked, sulking slightly as he began dragging his feet.
"I'll tell you once we get home." Callie answered as they neared their area. She began scanning the streets for Stef or any other cop but so far she hadn't seen any. "Let's hurry." She said, grabbing Jude's hand and rushing along.
Jude began to walk faster and kept his conversation either on Lena or on what they were going to do at home. Callie wasn't sure which topic to encourage for she wasn't sure what to tell Jude about her plans and she hated to hear him long for Lena. But she knew that it was the easier of the two.
"So tell me more about Lena." Callie asked, hoping to engage Jude enough that he won't realize the different route home.
"She's fun." Jude answered. "She always makes nice things and she hugs and kisses us all." He added, like he was one of her kids as well. "Jesus said that when they first lived there Lena would make up the best stories. She said she likes having me over because she misses little kids." Jude smiled proudly. "And she said none of her kids ever helped her in the kitchen like I do."
Callie nodded in all the appropriate places even though her eyes and attention were on scanning the streets. She was keeping a lookout for Stef or any cop for that matter but so far she hadn't seen any.
"Yesterday she was mad at Mariana thought." Jude continued. "She skipped her last class and Lena found out and when Mariana got home she got mad at her." He paused and turned to face Callie then. "She didn't hit her." He said, almost surprised at the fact. "She grounded her for the weekend. Jesus said she was lucky her phone didn't get taken away or else she'd die."
"Not all parents hit." Callie replied to her brother. She knew that he didn't remember anything of their own mom but Callie could not recall her mother ever raising a hand on either of them.
"I wish she was our mom." Jude said sadly. "She'd make everything okay for us."
Callie paused for a moment, biting her lower lip. What she would sacrifice to give Jude a home like that - filled with love and laughter and joy. She wouldn't ever be that kind of mother to her brother and no matter how hard she tried she'd never be able to give him what they could. For the next nine years she'd be dragging him from one place to another trying to keep him out of the system for even once she aged out, he'd still be stuck. If Lena loved Jude as much as he said she did, why couldn't she just adopt him and save him from his misery.
That thought struck Callie for she knew that neither Lena nor Stef would let any harm come to her brother. She had grown attached to Stef for a reason - her compassion and gentleness had drawn Callie to her. Even now she wished that she could just run to the woman and beg for her help but she just didn't have it in her. She was too scared and too distrustful and she'd been on her own for too long. She knew she wouldn't survive in the system again, no matter how good the home. She'd grown accustomed to making her own decisions and living her own life; even if it meant being on the run.
But she didn't have to do that to Jude - he had a place, even if she had to force his way into it. There were people who cared for him and would make sure he didn't get lost in the system. With any luck they would keep him - they'd done it before so why not again?
Callie felt her insides shake as she tried to decide what was best for her brother - a sister that could barely give him what he needed but always on the run or a family that would take care of him - if not personally, then at least find him a good and safe home like their own. Deep inside she trusted them unlike she'd ever trusted anyone before and she knew that if she ever wanted Jude to truly be free of the life they were living; truly have a chance at a future, then she would have to let him go. She was the one in trouble; she was the one who'd made all the mistakes and he shouldn't have to suffer.
"Okay, you can go." Callie finally answered, biting her tongue to keep from crying. "Go play at Jesus', I'll be at the curb at seven to pick you up." She answered.
Jude jumped up and down in excitement, his face glowing with joy. "Thanks Callie." He squealed. "If Lena gives me some cake, I'll bring you a piece." He promised as she turned and began to walk in the opposite direction, towards the home he was growing to love.
"Can I get a hug first?" Callie asked teasingly, though it was killing her to know that this may be the last time she would ever get to hug her little brother again.
Jude turned back and ran to his sister, wrapping his arms around her waist and squeezing tight. Callie wrapping her own arms around her brother and held on even tighter. She rested her head on top of his as a few tears finally spilled over. She held in her sobs as she clutched onto his t-shirt for dear life.
"I'm going to play Callie, I'm not dying." Jude teased when his sister didn't let go.
"Sorry." Callie smiled painfully as she pretended everything was fine. "Go on, have fun. I always love you."
"Always love you too." Jude replied as he walked away, completely oblivious to his sister's plans to disappear.