A/N This is a WIP, requested by and Dedicated to a special reviewer, SilverSential21.

I will be only updating this on a Sunday.

Disclaimer I own nothing but my imagination, a quick temper and a big mouth!

Является ли это действительно семейной жизни?

(Is this really family life?)

Chapter 1

The social worker walked up the path as a mid-sized green canvas bag came sailing out of the door and landed on the path, swiftly followed by a blond haired blue eyed teenager sporting a black eye and bruised arm.

"Get him out of here!" A red faced angry looking man yelled at the social worker.

"You should be arrested you!" The teenager yelled back, "Perv!" he spat.

"Why! I ought to….!" The man turned to hit the teenager again and the social worker stood in the way.

"Don't worry Mr. Bayliss, you will not be looking after any more children…ever," She told him standing between him and the kid.

"This is all your fault." The man snarled at the kid.

The kid looked at him emotionless as the social worker moved him to the car.

"You spotted that one pretty quickly?" Aileen said as she bundled the teenager into the car. "You've only been here a day."

"It kinda gave it away when he tried to grope me as he showed me 'his' room where I was to sleep." The kid snarled pulling his feet up onto the seat of the car and curling himself into a ball as he rode away in the back of the station wagon that belonged to his social worker.

Aileen looked at the kid in the rear-view mirror and sighed, "You are most difficult to place you know."

"You want me to get out now then." The kid replied with a smirk although his hand tightened on his bag.

"I managed to find a place for you…I'm not sure how long this placement is for, it's a nice family," She stopped as she saw his eyes roll.

"Suuuurrrreeee!" he drawled sarcastically.

"It's in Little Armenia, a nice Russian family, a husband and wife…."

"They got Kids?" he asked.

"Yes a four year old, Alaina." Aileen said smiling finally he was talking again. "Before we get there, anything broken?" she asked knowing by now to trust his judgment on these things rather than waste a fight at the hospital.

"No, I'm good. So when does my child-minding stint start."

Aileen sighed again, "Maybe it'll be different this time." She said brightly.

"Come on! If they've got kids they usually only want us for child minding or to look good for the neighbors, either way I'll hate it." He said.

"Give it a chance." She said.

"Fine." He snapped. It wasn't like he had a choice…well he did but he wasn't going back there again…and there was no way after Mr. Bayliss' conversation about their sleeping arrangements that he was going to spend one night under his roof.

The car pulled up outside a small one-storey house, it looked clean enough, and there was no dog…always good, Dogs meant competition if he didn't get fed or sometimes he was bullied by the elder kids getting their dogs to bark and try and bite him.

Aileen got out and opened the door for him and he held his bag like a life preserver. It was after all, all he owned in the world.

He hung back as she knocked on the door.

"Derzhis' , derzhis' ya idu !" he heard from behind the door.

A large smiling blonde haired woman in a half apron with her hair in a bun opened the door. "Hello?" she said.

"Aileen Sommers, Children Services." Aileen said introducing herself.

"Yes?" The woman looked confused.

"Svetlana Rostov?"

"Da….sorry, Yes?" she replied

Aileen laughed, "Sorry I wasn't sure I have the right house. I have a child for you…he's a bit older than you asked for, but this is an emergency and your name came up."

"Come in, come in." she said smiling, Aileen walked in and the kid shuffled behind, he'd heard the conversation and really didn't want to go in, they weren't expecting him and he was the wrong age, they were gonna be nice to the worker and nasty to him and blame him the moment she left.

He looked at her, she had nice eyes, but he never let a kindly face be a judge of character.

She went to put her hand on his shoulder and he shrank back.

"O, moy bednyy mal'chik" she said looking him up and down.

"What?" He asked.

"Sorry I said, oh you poor boy." She said, "I mean nothing by this, except you look scared, we will not hurt you…you are safe here."

He looked around, checking his escape route and for other dangers.

"But you don't believe me no?" she said with a smile. She turned to the kitchen, "Alaina, Anatoly we have visitors."

A little blonde haired girl ran out and grabbed hold of her mother's skirt and looked at the boy and smiled. "Privet" she said to him. "Hi."

"Hello!" A large dark haired Russian man walked out and the boy moved closer to the door his eyes instantly focused on the man's hands.

Anatoly broke into a huge grin… "Hello boy….I am named Anatoly and I learning American…I very good yes?" he asked.

He laughed as the boy moved further back at the sound of his loud voice.

Aileen moved him forward, "Come on…it's getting late, we need to get you settled." She said.

"Here!" he asked looking scared at the family that didn't even speak English, that itself would be hard enough but the father scared him….they all did….all except the little girl.

Aileen looked at him…. "it's here or Bayliss" she said it was an idle threat and they both knew it still holding his bag he walked into the living room and sat on a huge overstuffed sofa with crocheted covers over the back of the seats.

The adults sat in the living room after the mother put the little girl to bed.

"I am Svetlana and this is my husband Anatoly Rostov. Do not mind that he is loud. He is a big bear." She smiled.

"Callen." He said.

Svetlana looked at Aileen and asked, "First or last name?"

"Just Callen…or G." Callen said looking at his feet.

"Ah! Anatoly said clapping, "American knick knack names. I like I am also having one called Toli by my friends." He laughed.

Callen couldn't help but let out a small smile.

Aileen looked at him. "Just try one night Callen, ok?" she pleaded. "Be here tomorrow." She begged him; she really didn't want to have to spend months looking for him.

He shrugged not promising anything.

Aileen looked at Callen and sighed, "You G. Callen are my most difficult case, and my favorite child, although you know I am not allowed favorites." She winked and ruffled his hair one of the few people he allowed to touch him. "I will be back first thing tomorrow, 9am on the dot…just try tonight…if you don't like it I will try to find you another placement although it may be a few days…but I'll try."

Callen let out a small smile, Aileen had been his social worker for all of his ten year stint in foster care, she had been the first adult he could remember and once had even mistaken her for his mother. Although she had put him right on that one she was just as proud of him as if he had been her own son.

He nodded and stood on the step next to Svetlana as Aileen's car swept off into the dusk.

He ducked as Svetlana turned to go into the house, she stopped to look at him, "It is alright child, come we feed you and show you your bed to sleep in." she said.

Callen followed her wearily. He hadn't slept in 24 hours and he was beginning to feel it.

She opened a door to a small room with a single bed a dresser and an angle-poise white lamp, "There is a closet there for your clothes, although I think you can put your bag in there for now, that is our yard, you may go out when you wish." She said

The room was clean and comfortable and he tried the bed, it seemed nice…but he knew about assumptions, he didn't make them.

"Come…I make food, you eat yes?" she asked.

He nodded, Bayliss hadn't given him anything to eat he had spent the whole day staring at him and giving him the creeps.

He smelled a stew cooking in the kitchen and his stomach grumbled, Svetlana smiled, "I give you plenty food, you too skinny!" she said.

She pointed to a chair and he sat in it dutifully.

"Toli, Alaina…..Uzhin!" she called.

Callen looked at her, "It means Dinner…our evening meal, Da... yes?" she said.

Callen sat around the table and listened as the family conversed to each other in fluent Russian, with only the occasional English word being bantered about.

One thing was sure, if we were to stay here…and the family dynamic was nice, if they let him he might give this place a chance, he would have to learn Russian quickly.