Cooper POV

"She dropped her pills down the sink drain?" I questioned crouching down by the sink to look at the pipes

We had returned form the BBQ at Adams Foster home maybe hour ago. Amy and I had been in our bedroom, getting ready for the night, when we both had heard Callie calling for her mom from the bathroom. Thinking that it was more of a personal matter, I had stayed behind. Amy had left the room in a heartbeat, hurrying to see what had happened that required her assistance. Turned out, it was just a little clumsy moment.

"Yeah," Amy confirmed from the doorway "She came to get some water. When she tried to open the pain medication bottle, the bottle slipped from her hand and some of the pills went down the drain?"

"Why did she bring the bottle to the bathroom?" I asked, looking up to Amy. To me it made no sense. Callie's story was not sitting well with me. She could have gotten the water and carried it back to her room. But for some reason, I was the only one getting suspicious.

Amy shrugged her shoulders and leaned off of the doorway "Anyway, I'll make a call tomorrow morning. Trying to get her a visit with her doctor sooner, so he can prescribe her some more and maybe do the check up sooner. Hopefully, he has a free spot sometime next week."

Amy yawned, turned and took a step out of the bathroom "You coming to bed?"

"Aha,"I stood up, turned off the light and followed Amy to our bedroom "How much medication is left? For how many days?"

"A week at least. Probably a bit more." Amy said as she crawled back into the bed, under the covers. Before I closed the bedroom doors behind me, I stopped and stared across the hallway to Callie's bedroom. There was light seen underneath Callie's bedroom door, but I heard no noise coming from it.

Yes, I definitely had a bad feeling about this.

It kept me up all night. I couldn't stop thinking about it. For that reason, I found myself in the bathroom at 6am with my tool box. No water was used afterwards, so there was still a chance that the pills Callie had allegedly dropped down the sink, might still be in one of the curve of the pipe.

Beth POV

I was sitting in my car, parked in front of the Scott's residence. Trying to get the courage to get out of the car and actually go up to the house. It wasn't that I was afraid of the Scott's. Not at all.

Glancing down to my key chain, I trailed my thumb over the number 8. It used to be Markus jersey number. He bought me this key-chain during our 6 month anniversary date. Said he wanted to give me something that would forever remind me of him. He was not wrong. Till this day, I still remember him.

The memory of the last time I drove up here by myself few days after Markus death surfaced.

Tear fell on the key-chain I was holding between my fingers. I watched how the tear rolled down, leaving a wet trail, before I dragged my finger across it, to wipe it dry. It had been over a week now since the funeral, but still there hasn't been a day, when I hadn't cried.

Looking up to the house, I saw through the living room window, how Amy got up from the couch and moved. For a moment I tensed up, thinking maybe she saw me. But I relaxed once I saw that she hadn't moved towards the window, the opposite actually.

After glancing to the side mirror to make sure no cars were driving, I opened the doors and made my way up to the house. All I wanted, was to ask Amy if I could maybe, possibly, get one of Markus jerseys. To remember him. To have something to hold on to. Cry into at nights. Hold in my hands.

When I was on the porch, I looked up from the ground and into the house, through the living room window. The sight in front of me, broke my heart. New set of tears rolled down my cheeks. I no longer bothered wiping them. My sleeves were already wet.

Mrs. Scott was kneeled in front of the TV. The home movie she had been watching was paused on the image of Markus, holding the MVP statue he had won at the end of last season. Aaron was holding him from behind, he looked nothing but proud of his son. Markus was beaming into the camera, holding the prize in his trophy in his left while showing #1 with his other hand. I had been there as well, behind the scene, standing next to Amy, who had taken the video.

Amy was tracing her fingers over the TV screen, trying to touch her son one last time. Slowly she pulled her hand back and into a fist, brought it up to her mouth. Her body convulsed from what obviously was a cry.

I looked down to the key-chain, up to the crying form of Markus mother and then slowly backed away from the house.

This key-chain will be enough. I have other trinkets and small stuff he had bought me over time. Small doodles he drew for me in class. The will you go to prom with me note he slipped to me during class, that had the YES checkbox ticked. I have plenty of photos on the two of us. All the text messages we had sent to each other. I have my memories, happy memories of us together. It will have to be enough. I can't take anything away from a grieving mother.

So, I had walked back to the car, started the engine and drove away.

After that day, I thought I would never visit the Scott's ever again. I had no reason to. Yet, here I was again few years later. For some reason I keep on getting drawn back here. While still nervous, I smiled, because while I didn't get the chance to have a life with Markus, I still get to be a tiny part of Callie and Amy's life.

Jiggling the keys in my hand, I walked up the house. This time, more confident and I actually got to the knocking on the door part. It has been weeks since I have seen Callie. Last I saw her was in hospital. I didn't want to intrude and wanted to give her some time to heal and get better. She had her family, so I never doubted if she was in good hands. Now that little over 2 months have passed, I felt like I could drop by and see how she was.

Doors were opened by her grandfather "Bethany!" he greeted with open arms like an old friend

"Oh, please, call me Beth. My mother is the only one who calls me by my full name."

Harold's laugh was sincere and kind of contagious as it made me want to laugh as well "That's the only reason parents give names like that, isn't it? So that the kid knows when they're in real trouble," he took a step aside "Please, come in."

"Thank you," I said as I stepped over the doorstep "And, yes, I can confirm that. Full name – means you're in big trouble."

"Let me tell you," he closed the doors "Linda and I really screwed up the name thing with our two. Amy and Andy...dumb names. We should have at least given them middle names, but no...we were not even that smart." Harold said chucking as he lead me inside the house towards the kitchen

"Callie's not home just yet. She has therapy till 4 today. But she should be on her way now," Harold informed me before we stopped in the middle of the kitchen

Callie's grandmother stood by the stove, back turned towards us. There was a pot in front of her. She was stirring something. Smelled good, though I had no clue what she was cooking. Couldn't place it.

"Linda, Beth is here!" At that, Linda looked over her shoulder

"Oh, it's so lovely to see you!" She smiled at me, came over to me and embraced me in a quick hug "It's been a while. How have you been?"

Before I could wrap my head around what was happening, I was having tea and cookies with Callie's grandparents and talking about my life. It felt like I had visited my grandparents. In the few short minutes, I had basically told them my whole life story from graduating high school till this moment right here. While they may how not fully understand all the medical gibberish I was telling them, they had paid me close attention and listened intensely.

I had been in the middle of telling them about my disagreement with my landlord, I had last weekend, when the front doors opened and we all heard that Amy and Callie were home.

"Why?"

"I don't want to. That's why!"

"Well, you don't really have a choice. So, suck it up!" Amy said and by the sound of it closed the doors behind them with a bit harder push then it was necessary.

"Oh, boy. They are at it again," Harold ducked his head and scratched his brow. By the reaction, I guessed that Amy and Callie arguing was nothing new.

"I wonder what's it about this time," Linda whispered quietly as she watched her husband get up and walk over to the counter to lean back at it. All Harold did was shrug his shoulders once and look down to the floor.

"What happened to I'm never going to force you doing something I don't want to?"

"You know this is different!" Amy sounded almost hurt "We're talking about your rehabilitation, Callie!" Amy argued back calmly. Their voices became louder and clearer as they both made their way down the hallway.

"So, we're going to do it the easy way or the hard way," Amy was not backing down "That's up to you."

"We? No, mom...there is no we in this! There is just me!" Callie said back loudly and sounded much more harsher and fed up with her mother. She walked in the kitchen, still limping, while looking over her shoulder. Her long sleeve shirt selves were rolled up to her elbows, revealing the burn scar on her right arm. My eyes went to it, to take a look at the damage, but I quickly forced my eyes up. If she would have seen me stare at the scars, it would only make her feel insecure.

"And I am sick and tired of-" Callie turned to look in front of her "Beth!"

I stood up, when Callie saw me and smiled at her "Hey," I said in a barely audible voice and did a little wave at her.

The first thing Callie did, was quickly roll her right sleeve down and pull her hand into it. She even placed her left hand over the area of her arm were the burn was, further hiding it. Not quite there yet to show the scars to the whole world. Which was completely understandable. It was important for her to go her own speed. First, she had to be okay with them. Then, she could test the water with the people closest to her – her family. Friends. Get comfortable with them. Only when she feels confident, safe and comfortable enough, she can share it with the rest of the World. And it will take as long as it needs.

It appears she wasn't quite ready for the friend/co-worker part.

"Beth? What does Beth have to do with anything?" I could hear Amy's confusion from the hallway "Look, Callie...I know you are tired. Trust me, I do. But you can't skip the physical therapy," Amy appeared in the kitchen, her eyes on her hands as she was removing her watch from her wrist "It's important that you do-" she looked up and saw me "Beth!"

"Let me get this straight. You're tired of me, but you want to...do me?" I joked, looking between them, trying to lighten the mood

"That sounded wrong," Amy grinned and walked up to me "We weren't expecting to see you!" she hugged me "How have you been?"

"Missing my friend and partner," I replied, glancing over to Callie, who still stood in the middle of the kitchen

"I probably should have called first. If this is a bad time, I can come by some other time."

"Nonsense," Amy placed her hand on my shoulder "You should stay for dinner. Callie, what do you think?"

For a brief moment, Callie looked like a deer caught in headlights now that all attention was on her. She looked to her mom, then back to me, before she started to nod her head and a genuine smile appeared on her lip "Yeah, stay for dinner."

"Hey, Callie, maybe Beth here..." Amy squeezed her hand on my shoulder and turned to look at me "Could keep you company while you do your physical therapy?" she said as she looked back at her daughter

The phrasing suggested that Amy wasn't really asking me. It was more between her and her daughter. Callie gave her mother a look and Amy stared right back at her. The intensity of it grew with each passing moment. Meanwhile, I wondered if this might have been what the argument was all about. The stare down lasted quite a few seconds. Neither said anything.

When Callie had apparently lost the stare down, she threw her head back and turned slowly around "Fine. I'll go change."

"Excellent!" Amy called after her daughter, though, she was the only one who sounded and looked enthusiastic about it

Once Callie was out of earshot I peaked to Amy, cleared my throat and tentatively asked "I don't really have a choice here, don't I?"

Amy quickly turned to me, her mouth parted a little "No, sorry!" She gave me an apologetic look "I hope-"

"Don't worry about it. I don't mind," I assured Amy quickly, not letting her finish her sentence

"Callie's been fighting me about this the whole day. Hell, every day for weeks," she explained as she took her hand off my shoulder "She's just sick and tired of all of the therapy. Not just physical therapy – all the therapy that she's doing. And you know, I understand that, but it's important the she keep at it. Anyway, that argument you heard-" Amy pointed to the hallway "That was about her doing her physical therapy."

Amy paused for a moment, swallowed hard and tilted her head down "Sometimes I think maybe I'm the actual problem-"

"No. You are a wonderful mother," I instantly shook my head, not wanting her to think that "Callie is lucky to have you!"

"Nah, it's okay," Amy shook head "You see, I'm with her all the time," She said looking up "24/7 since the day it happened. There are days when she just needs a break from me. I think today might be one of those days, you know?" Amy said with a smile, but all I saw was the tiny bit of hurt in her eyes

"Just...take her mind of things," Amy patted my upper arm

"That I can do," I smiled nodding my head back

We were sitting in the backyards, on their yoga mats. I was sitting cross-legged on the end of yoga mat, using the dumbbells, while watching how Callie does her stretching band exercises. In the hour and half we had been here, I had told Callie all of what has happened at the firehouse, every gossip, every smallest detail, the boys antics, the charity box match that took place 3 week ago, everything that I could think off. The only thing left, was for me to whine about my new partner.

"I get that not all people like to talk much, but there have actually been a day, when we didn't actually say a single word to each other besides the work stuff. Like reading patients stats, asking for a certain drug or piece of equipment, telling me to drive faster because the patient is bleeding out too much..." I complained about my new partner as I moved the dumbbell to my other hand

"And I thought I was not a talker," Callie finished the set, put the exercise band down and reached for her water bottle.

As she did, I noticed her how right hand trembled, before she gripped the water bottle. This was not the first time I noticed it during this short visit. It wasn't just her hand trembling. When I was helping her with some of the stretches, I noticed that her eyes were bloodshot and her pupils were dilated. She looked run down. I guessed she was not sleeping well.

"Oh, you talk. You talk normal amount. This guy...he's super anti-social."

"Have you tried starting a random conversation with him. You know, instead of waiting for him to do it." Callie asked, setting the water bottle down

"Have I-?" I felt almost offended by that. For a moment I stopped lifting the dumbbell "It's like talking to a freaking stone wall! If it wasn't for the other boys at the firehouse, I would have gone mad by now!" I continued to aggressively and actively lift the dumbbell "I think he doesn't like me for some reason."

"Maybe, he has a crush on you," Callie said innocently, with a serious face as she put the stretching band around her ankles, getting ready for the next set

"Crush? What are we...in high-school?" I huffed "Also, no!" I emphasized the last word "I don't have sex with people from work. That's one of my rule!"

"O-okay," Callie dragged slowly as she resumed her workout "Good to know, I guess."

I set the dumbbell down and reached out to grab the blue exercise ball. Bounced it with my hand a couple of times, then decided to lay down to and try to do one of the exercises that Callie had done before. She had done multiple, some were for her lower back, some for core, some for legs and others for stability. I tried to do the one that seemed to be the one for core strength.

Feet on ball, hands by my sides, legs bend in in 90, I lifted my butt up from the ground. When I had done it for 10 times, I felt my stomach starting to burn

"Either I am really out of shape or this is really hard!" I kept doing the exercise through gritted teeth. When Callie had done it, it looked so much easier. She made it look effortless.

"Both!" Callie breathed out, I could hear she was having hard time on her own judging by the way she was breathing next to me "So," she spoke up a "I have never heard you actually mention anyone."

I stopped doing the exercise and turned my head to look at Callie "What do you mean?"

"Are you seeing someone? Is there a boyfriend?"

"No," I replied dryly as I placed my hands on my stomach, leaving my feet rest up on the ball

"Are you going to dates? Tinder?"

"I don't date. And no Tinder."

"Girlfriend, maybe?" Callie moved her eyebrow up

"Nop, no girlfriend either." I shook my head

"So, like-"

"I have sex – one night stands with strangers I meet at bars," I explained simply and turned my head to look up the sky full of clouds. It is so much easier when there are no feelings involved. It's still fun, it still brings pleasure. And it never gets old, because each person you are with, is different. They are turned on by different things. New experience each time. While it seems that it could be a cause for an awkward situation, for me, that's not the case.

"I don't do relationships! Not anymore. Not since Markus died," I admitted surprising myself for I had never talked about this with anyone. Always did keep to myself.

There was a long pause from her, which made me fear that I have overshared and now she was judging me for my life choice and thought less of me. But Callie surprised me as well, when she said "That way, you protect yourself from getting hurt again."

It was like a breath of a fresh air. She understood me, without me having to explain it.

"Yeah, exactly," Callie hit a nail on the head "I think, what happened to Markus, broke me somehow. Messed with my head. Childhood trauma or whatever."

"I can relate to that," Callie sighed

Slowly, I turned my head to look at my friend. She was no longer doing her exercise, but staring up the sky as well, with a distant look in her eyes. "I have a lot of that."

"Hey," I reached out to touch her palm "You got through all of that. You'll get through this as well."

Deep down, I felt wrong saying that, because I actually didn't have the slightest idea what she has been through. Callie never talked about her past. Not the bad stuff at least. Sure, she has told me a lot of stories that involved Amy, her brother Jude and all of the other Adams Foster family. But they were all happy stories. Of times, when the bad stuff was all behind her.

She has demons in her past. Or so I have been told. Stefanie once briefly mentioned she had a lot of them. I knew no other detail about them. Not when, who, why, where, how many. Just that there were a lot.

I assumed I had met one of them – Liam. Though, I have not been brave enough to ask anyone to confirm my suspicious. And maybe it should stay that way forever. Sometimes it's best for the past to stay in the past. No need to go digging up old graves.

But still, I sometimes wonder. Seeing him, treating him had changed something in her. The things she had told the doctors, after she had handed him over to them. It sounded personal. It sounded like she really knew him. Knew what he was. I assumed it was because she really did know him.

Didn't want for it to be true, of course. But deep down, I had a feeling I was right.

It would explain so much about her, back when we were both just kids. I wanted to turn back time and actually get to know back then. Have an actual conversation with her. She had always been so sad, so closed up and reserved and guarded. Callie had always sat alone at lunch, because no one talked to her. She was getting bullied and other kids laughed about her behind her back and to her face.

The bullying had only gotten worse after the funeral. As other kids told Callie to her face that they wished it was her who had died in the car crash not Markus. Callie had simply stared back without replying, allowing for everyone to take it out on her. She was the punching bag. Only one time, I had heard her reply back. And she did it, all while looking pass the kid staring right at me "I know, I wish it had been me as well." Dipping her head down, she had turned and walked away from the Markus memorial wall. Watching her, so emotionless, not reacting at all, had made me wonder if she has grown immune to words like that. If her being a foster kid, had anything to do with how she reacted.

And if she got through years of abuse in foster homes, all of the bullying in school, all of the childhood trauma she had and grew up to be this amazing person that she is now, then she can also recover from this.

Callie took in a breath, she closed her eyes, breathed out and whispered "I'm not so sure about it, this time," she opened her eyes and glanced over to me, to find me looking at her.

"Why not?" I asked, quietly

Her mouth parted. She was fighting, herself, to admit whatever was making her doubt herself.

"It's all my fault," she turned to look up the sky. A tear rolled down her temple "There is no one else to blame this time. It's all me! I'm what's wrong!"

"What is your fault?" I sat up on my knees. She sounded so convinced of it, it worried me "What's going on?" All Callie did was cover her eyes with her arm, hiding.

I was mid-way reaching out to her to move her her arm from her eyes, when I heard a knock on a glass. Looking over my shoulder, Amy waved through the window and gestured that it's time to eat. I faked a smiled and showed thumbs up, while all I could think about what Callie had said to me.

"Dinner is ready," I informed Callie as I looked back to her

"Okay," she sniffed but remained still, not looking my way

"Come on," I got up and held both of my hands out to help her up

Callie moved the base of her palm over her eyes, getting rid of the tears and placed her hands in mine. I pulled her up to her feet and into an unexpected hug.

Amy POV

Cooper had arrived home from work, just in time for dinner. he was now upstairs, getting changed, while I watched through the kitchen window, how Beth pulled Callie into a hug. At first, Callie had seemed somewhat reserved about it, her body stiff, she wasn't hugging her back as he arms rested still by her sides. It must have been something Beth said to her, because the next thing I knew, I watched how Callie hugged her back as if holding on for dear life.

The doorbell rang, taking all of us by surprise.

As I looked over my shoulder to the hallway, Linda asked "Are we expecting more guests?"

"Not that I know," I said walking towards the front doors "Tell the girls to start eating if they come in!" I shouted before I reached for the door handle

There in front of me stood Stef, still in her police uniform. Her black SVU stood parked by our driveway, blocking Cooper's Nissan.

"Hey!" I smiled at her

"Hey!" Stef said but she seemed somewhat nervous "Can we talk for a minute?"

"Sure," I took a step aside, gesturing for her to come in

Stef looked pass my shoulder "Is Callie home?"

"She's out back, with Beth. They both should come in for dinner any minute."

"Can we talk outside?" Stef took a step back and pointed to the front porch

I was a little taken aback by her wish to talk outside, but I bite "Umm, yeah, sure." I closed the doors behind me as I stepped out to front porch

Stef stood in front of me, rubbing her hands together nervously "Was Callie in our bathroom? When she rested...after..."

"Yes, she went before we went back down," I answered honestly. Stef dipped her head down and huffed, shaking her head lightly.

"I...I apologize," I stuttered, thinking we might have crossed the line of their hospitality "I should have told Callie to use the bathroom downst-"

"Amy-" Stef looked up, placing her hand on my upper arm, stopping me mid-sentence "My pills are missing!"