OK, so I imagine a few folks will write up this scene as I know a few people, like myself, probably would have like to have seen how it unfolded. This is an interpretation I had - I'm not sure if it's how it would have happened or not but I actually found it a lot harder to imagine than I thought when I expected it to come in the show. I'd also give a shout out to Lacorra who wrote a super one shot around this subject too with a slightly different angle and circumstance!

Anyhow, I hope folks enjoy - and how about that premiere? I loved how they did things. Kinda feels like they're grounding it back to so many of the things I fell in love with when I first started watching. So optimistic and excited for this season it's unreal! Anyhow, thanks to TheTBone for helping me out with this one and I would love to hear your thoughts either here or over on Twitter!

Stef licked her lips anxiously as they stood by the door. They could hear footsteps on the other side but they weren't coming fast enough. Her heart jumped as the door opened and a stout, older looking woman stood behind it. She wasn't sure why she had expected it to be Callie, she knew it wouldn't be, but part of her was just so desperate to see her that this wait seemed longer than the entire day sitting in the courthouse.

Elaine had started speaking straight away, preventing Stef from doing so but she rocked on her feet instead, swaying with anticipation.

"Hi Helen, sorry to bother you so late."

"No bothers." The woman replied, lightly agitated. "What are you doing here?"

This time Stef dived in straight away. "I'm here to get my daughter." The words had come out faster than she thought. She had thought of Callie as a daughter for many months now with no hesitation - having to say them out loud in this context just seemed wrong. Why was she having to pick up her daughter from some stranger's house? What's more, why did the stranger suddenly look nervous?

"Where is she?" She added, sensing some dread from the reaction.

"She is..." the older lady looked to the stairs and shuffled back before squinting at Elaine in confusion. She fidgetted some keys in her hand, almost hiding them behind her skirt.

"I don't understand, she's being moved again? And if she's your daughter why was she placed here?"

"There was some paperwork issues but she should never have been placed here in the first place." Stef's pace quickened as she looked beyond, though she kept her tone as calm as she could. "Please, could you just call her down? I'm here to take her home. Callie?" Stef shouted into the house as Helen face dropped with more concern, flashing a look to Elaine. Sensing that Stef's agitation was growing, the social worker put her hand out, engaging Helen's eye contact.

"I know this was unplanned, as I said this placement occurred under unique circumstances, but Callie's previous foster mothers have obtained an extension to their license. If you could call her down then we'll take her off your hands." Looking between the two women Helen gulped down and turned again towards the stairs.

"Very well. She went to bed. I'll go and get her for you." She moved swiftly as Stef looked in.

"She's in bed? I don't understand why she didn't come down...she must have heard us arrive…" she commented to Elaine, warning flags flying. Before Elaine could respond, Stef's ears zoned in on the jingling in Helen's hand and her senses screamed out alongside it.

"I don't like this." She muttered as she stepped into the house, Elaine reaching out to grab her arm but not fast enough to pull her back.

"Stef, she's bringing her down."

"And she can't call her? This house isn't exactly big." She stepped in further, looking up to the stairs hearing Helen's voice radiate from the landing.

"Callie, a social worker has arrived with your old foster mom." she heard her say before another sound caught her ears; a click of a key sounded along with the familiar jingle. Stef immediately snapped forward further, lunging to the stairs and pointing up them. "Was that…?" She turned to Elaine in disbelief who now followed her in more briskly.

"Was that a key?" She gasped. "Did she just unlock her door?"

"Stef..." Elaine stepped forward as Stef bolted up the stairs.

"If you want to just wait -" Helen began as she saw the blonde figure flying up the stairs towards her.

"Did you lock my daughter up in her room?" her eyes bulged as she met Helen on the landing, Callie peeping out from behind the door. As she saw her dropping eyes she suddenly worried about what else this woman may have done. Engaging her reflexes as she flew towards the door, she encased Callie firmly into her arms and sucked her warmth into her body. She felt her hug back, albeit gently at first but quickly met with equal vigour and relief.

"Excuse me, you can't just come storming into my house like this..." Helen protested, the audacity pulling Stef back from the comfort of her daughter and igniting the fury which was now taking over. She pulled one arm away holding Callie tightly under the other as she almost shook with the emotion flooding through her body.

"And you can't lock a sixteen year old child in their bedroom!" She blasted back, the emotion in her voice cracking through the rage. Helen gaped, shuffling at as Elaine stood quietly behind.

"She's an ex-con and a flight risk, I know she seems like a nice enough girl but you have to appreciate -"

"Have to appreciate what?" She roared. "That you think caging a vulnerable child is the only way to protect her from herself? Or is it to protect you from having to deal with your responsibilities as someone trusted to look after her?"

"Ladies, please..." Elaine intervened but only as a placeholder while Helen's brewing words made their escape.

"You told me to take care of her and I have, she was never in any danger!" she protested, directly to Elaine as Stef guffawed, Callie tugging at her mom's sleeve as Elaine moved between them.

"Helen, I'm sorry but Stef's right. It's not acceptable to -"

"Not acceptable?" Stef fired out, Callie biting her lip as both women turned to look.

"It's illegal! And you?" She turned to the shell shocked social worker. "How is this woman even certified?" She pointed wildly, her arm flying out. "You rip Callie out of a stable environment to put her here?"

"I understand, and we will investigate -"

"I've got a perfect record with my kids." Helen piped up, now the one overshadowing Elaine in her staunch defiance as Stef finally tore herself from Callie and stepped towards the old lady, prompting her to step back at the movement.

"Well Callie is not one of your kids! She's one of ours and nobody locks my kid behind a door!" her tone was a mixture of exasperation and hostile grit. "What if there had been a fire? What if you'd collapsed and she was trapped? I have half a mind to arrest you on the spot for child neglect and reckless endangerment!" she added as Callie pulled her shoulder back.

"Stef, please. Can we just go home?" she pleaded. Stef was about to shout back further to the shrinking woman standing on her other side but even with the echo of her heart pounding she could see the desperation in Callie's eyes. She panted in a momentary silence as she threw daggered looks at the both of the other women, Callie once again filling the silence.

"I'm ready to go, just...please. Let them deal with it." she added quietly with half a smile as Stef licked her bottom lip and let out another exasperated blast of air before hugging Callie again. She gripped her tight, closing her eyes as she kissed her head. She was supposed to be the Level headed one here, not the other way around, but she couldn't help but channel the fear and shame Callie must have felt at being so degraded by this woman. Despite her sickening fury she had to remember that Callie was the most important thing and having this fight here in front of her was clearly not the way. She swallowed down her rage and moved her lips to Callie's ear.

"Go get your bag, love." she whispered as Callie pulled away.

As she disappeared into the room Stef stepped forward to Elaine, throwing one more deathly glare at Helen.

"I want this woman's license revoked or so help me I will arrest her myself." she whispered bitterly before gulping down and fixing her glare on the grey haired lady who was now wisely choosing to stay silent. As Callie re-emerged, Stef swooped her under her arm and swept her towards the stairs leaving both women standing behind.

"Stef, it was OK -" she informed her gently as her foster mom practically carried towards the car with her stride.

"That was not OK." Stef replied firmly, her hostile tone still lingering, before remembering it was now just Callie she was talking to. She stopped in her tracks and braced her forehead.

"I'm sorry, I'm just so angry this happened to you. So angry that we let this happen to you!"

"A lot has happened to me, Stef." she snorted with half a smile as Stef turned to her, biting her lips together. She studied Callie's face, her head shaking ever so slightly. The young girl before her was so calm. So resigned. Stef could feel a million nerves of anger tingling through her body and yet Callie's face was so numb to it, hurt, but numb. She remembered the walls that Callie had up when she first arrived. That night outside her foster dad's house, standing in the glow of the police lights and looking into her face. She was numb to it then too, more hostile and physically bruised but the look in her eyes showed that even without the physical visibility or the icy attitude, she was just as battered now as she was then.

"This isn't right, love." Stef eventually sighed, her head still rocking gently. "I know..." She closed her eyes, anticipating exactly what Callie would be thinking regarding such an obvious statement. "I know that you are tired of people making you promises they can't keep and I know there's nothing that I can say to reassure you..." She whispered. "But please, don't you ever think that this is what you deserve or that this is just how it should be because it's how it is. You have a right to stand up for yourself whether people listen or not." She cupped her cheeks as Callie's eyes closed. "You do not have to put up with someone treating you like that..."

"What's the point, Stef?" She whispered back, almost feeling tears gather deep down in her throat. "When I fight it gets worse."

"But you're not fighting alone now..."

"Yeah..." Callie rebuffed Stef's immediate cut off with matching diligence. "And I love you and Lena for that, I really do - but it doesn't change the reality of it. I have to play the game Stef, even if I'll lose either way." She shrugged with another disheartened laugh, mainly to keep the level of indifference she was so desperate to maintain. Stef paused a moment seeing the light from the streetlamp glistening in the uncried tears in her daughter's eyes. She took a deep breath and pulled her in close once again, kissing her head.

"Well we'll always be on your team." She whispered before wrapping her arms around her more tightly. As Callie felt the warmth she gulped down, holding Stef around her waist.

She was right, and she actually believed it. This was her team, she felt that for the first time. She wasn't naïve enough to assume it would all turn out OK, she had been hurt by that too many times before, but at least this time she was sure there were people fighting, it was that which had stopped her from losing her cool, from building the walls back up as soon as she felt the familiar punch to the gut. Now, cradled in Stef's embrace, she thought more about the team. About the looks of fear on her siblings' faces as Elaine had spoken; Lena, desperately trying to negotiate some form of solution. She thought about Stef's genuine, motherly rage and how hard she must have tried throughout the day to secure this extension. She thought about Jude, her constant, with his backpack, ready to follow her anywhere, even sacrificing his own security. Backdropped against it all, she then thought about the decision she had made over the last few days. The decision mainly driven by fear of how she may be hurt if she opened that door to her past. What she was now realising was that for the first time it wouldn't just be her and Jude that would be hurt if she was torn away again. Maybe in order to win she had to take one for her team, for herself mainly but also for all of them. For her family.

Maybe there was someone she had to see in order to do that.

Thanks for reading - hope you enjoyed :)