The drive home was silent as each one was lost in their own thoughts. Callie could see her sheet of paper folded unevenly in Lena's hand and how she wished she could undo her mistake of submitting it. Now she had no choice but to sit and listen to them tell her that they'd made a huge mistake in adopting her and she'd once again be sent elsewhere. But in a way she also felt relief for the constant waiting and worrying was eating her up inside.

Lena fingered the sheet nervously as she thought about just how close they came to Callie running away again. She knew that this time Callie would make sure she couldn't be found and the chances that they might never have seen the girl again were high and that alone made Lena want to lock her up at home and ever let her out of her sight again.

Stef on the other hand, was torn between anger, worry and sadness. Her love for Callie didn't change one bit even though she felt so betrayed and deceived by her two oldest children. She wanted to feel that anger and she wanted them to feel it too but now she was being forced to set it aside because their daughter took it to mean that they didn't want her any more.

The drive home from school never seemed so short before for none of them were truly ready for the conversation that they were about to have. But alas, Stef was soon stopping in the driveway and they all got out of the car and made their way to the living room.

"Are you going to undo my adoption?" Callie asked the moment they were all in the living room. They hadn't even sat down yet but she just couldn't wait any longer.

"No." Stef and Lena both replied instantly. The firmness and clarity with which they said it made Callie realize that they had never even considered the option.

"I told you Callie, we would never not want you." Stef reminded her.

"Yeah, but that was before I slept with your son." Callie pointed out. She didn't think something like this would be covered by that promise.

"You slept with your brother." Stef corrected. "My son implies that you are not my daughter, and you are." She stated firmly. There was no softness in her voice for she was upset and angry but she was also sure to make the girl know that she was loved.

Callie looked away. As relieved as she was to hear them talk about her like she was still a part of them, she also felt that much worse for betraying them in the first place. They had done everything for her and she had hurt them and there was nothing she could ever do to make it right.

"Honey, you did something wrong and yes, we're angry but that doesn't make you any less a part of this family." Lena said, more gently than Stef as she took a Stef closer to Callie rested a hand on her shoulder. "It doesn't matter where you came from or how you got here, you are our daughter now and you will be for the rest of your life."

Callie looked between the two women, unsure of what to say. She'd only ever hoped that this is what they would say but it was definitely not what she expected. She had made a huge mistake and betrayed their trust and while Brandon was just as much involved in it - he wasn't the one they took a huge chance on.

"You are our daughter and Brandon is our son." Stef added. "I can't send him back to where he came from just because I'm angry with him and the same goes for you."

"Sweetheart, you never have to worry about us not wanting you, no matter what you do." Lena pushed harder, determined to get Callie to understand and truly believe. "There may be punishments and consequences but giving up on you will never be one of them."

"Okay." Callie said softly, her eyes damp and her nose runny. "Okay." She said again, just to show that she believed them.

A silence fell over them as they all thought this entire situation through. There were so many questions and so many possible outcomes that it was impossible to discuss them all. But the only thing that mattered was that they were communicating.

"You know Callie, we have a right to be angry." Stef finally said, still not completely over the hurt she was feeling. "We trusted you and you broke that trust and we have a right to be angry and we have a right to hurt. I get that you felt insecure because of all you've been through but that doesn't make us hurt any less." Her voice caught slightly as she admitted the pain she was feeling. "Running away from all this, adding to our stress and hurt, that's unfair."

"I wasn't running." Callie said softly, her tears finally falling at the ache in Stef's voice.

"You wrote that you wanted to." Lena reminded her, handing over the paper that Callie was longing to destroy.

"I just couldn't bear to hear you say that you didn't want me." Callie explained. "Leaving of my own choice would have hurt less but I couldn't do that either."

"It wouldn't have hurt less." Stef said firmly. "It would have hurt you just as much and it would have hurt us too." Her own eyes were now red with the tears she was trying to hold back. "It wouldn't have damn near killed me." She added, her body shuddering slightly at the thought.

Callie looked away, unsure of what to say for there was absolutely nothing she could say or do that would make this okay. The mistake was made and the hurt was caused and now she had to just face the consequences - whatever they were. One thing she knew for certain was that however they punished her, it would be nothing compared to the heartache she felt by the disappointment and hurt on their faces.

"So what now?" Callie asked softly, winding what her punishment would be.

"I don't know." Stef answered honestly as she shrugged her shoulders and shook her head in defeat.

"Callie, are you in love with Brandon?" Lena asked straight out, knowing that they first had to figure that out before they could go any further.

"No." Callie answered as she too shook her head vehemently.

"Are you sure?" Lena asked for confirmation. She didn't want Callie to just say what they wanted to hear but what she was truly feeling. "I need you to tell us the truth."

Callie finally sat down on the couch and thought about it for a moment, trying to figure out how to put her feelings into words. "I like him." She finally admitted, not looking at either of them directly in the eye. "At first I just wanted to prove to myself that my judgement about guys wasn't off, after Liam." She admitted, glancing at them for a moment. "But then, when he was genuinely nice to me I... I don't know, fell for him I guess." She said, trying to figure out for herself what she truly felt. "I like him and I know he likes me." At this point she finally looked up at Stef directly in the eye. "But I love this family - my family - and I don't want anything to ruin that."

Stef was looking back at Callie as she said all this but once she was done she looked away because no matter what - things were just never going to be the same again.

Callie could see the conflict in Stef's face and she felt the need to explain further. "When I thought I couldn't get adopted, he seemed to be my last link to this family."

"You were always family." Stef snapped slightly, her head whipping back towards Callie. "From the moment we decided to adopt you and you said yes, you became family.

"It's not the same." Callie whispered. They had told her several times that being adopted legally wouldn't make them love her any less - the first time was when they found out that Donald wasn't her biological father and then again when Sophia destroyed the abandonment papers and yet again when Robert was fighting for custody and Callie decided to go and live with him. They had always told her that she'd be their daughter no matter what and that one day - even if they had to wait until she was eighteen - they would adopt her. But Callie knew that she needed that piece of paper - that tangible bit of evidence that proved that she was one of them. Until she had that she would always feel like it was all just an illusion. And when it all seemed to be slipping thought her fingers, she held on to the one bit of thread she thought she had left.

"And now it will never be the same." Stef said sadly as she too sat down on one of the arm chairs, knowing full well that they were talking about two different things.

"It won't ever happen again." Callie promised softly, aware that no matter how much she promised it, they wouldn't truly believe her because they no longer truly trusted her.

Lena sat down beside Callie and took her hands in her own. "We know you're trying." She said supportively. "But there will be some changes around here." She added.

"You and Brandon are not to be alone together ever." Stef quickly started, determined to get this particular rule firmly in place. "No excuses, no circumstances, no conditions - you and Brandon are ever together if someone else isn't around."

Callie looked at Stef wondering how exactly this was going to work. Who was the someone else? Did it mean anyone or just one of the moms? Were they ever allowed to talk again? Could they be friends? Brandon had become one of her best friends and the thought of losing him in that sense really hurt.

"We want to keep things as smooth as possible." Lena added, knowing that ever since Brandon helped Callie get to Jude, they had become good friends as well. "We are not saying that you can't be friends with him, we are just taking away the temptation to... go beyond friendship." She explained.

"No more sneaking into his room in the middle of the night either." Stef stated, remembering how she felt when she found them whispering quietly when they thought everyone was asleep.

"We were just talking." Callie mumbled, knowing that Stef wouldn't believe her and didn't even want to hear it anyway.

"Honey, we know this seems unfair." Lena sympathized, having heard Callie's statement since she was sitting right next to her. "But you two need to earn back our trust and we need to feel confident in loosening the reigns."

"I get it." Callie nodded. And she did. She knew that it was going to take a lot for them to trust her again and she was determined to do whatever she had to to get it. They had already taken a chance on her once and now they were doing it again and she was determined not to fail them again.

"You can be friends." Lena reminded her. "Just don't go beyond that." She pleaded.

"You're also grounded for a month." Stef added and then felt the need to explain why. "For lying, for sneaking out of your room when you should have been in bed, for disobeying us and for..." She trailed off, not even saying the real reason. "School and back and nothing else." She said.

"Okay." Callie nodded, accepting her punishment. She knew something like this was inevitable and she was just thankful that they still loved and wanted her.

"Brandon has no rights to the car until he comes back home and when he does he will have to pay for his own gas and his own phone from now on." Stef added. "He may be eighteen and determined to do things his own way but that doesn't mean he goes unpunished." She said, letting Callie know that they did not hold her solely responsible for their actions.

Callie nodded, smiling slightly to herself. Never in her wildest dreams did she ever imagine finding a family that would treat her the same as a biological child. She knew she'd gotten extremely lucky and she was never going to taken them for granted - that she was sure of."

"We love you." Lena said as she rubbed Callie's back comfortingly.

"I love you too." Callie replied, looking first at Lena and then at Stef.

"Go start your homework." Lena said as she got up to go and start dinner.

Callie stood up and grabbed her backpack, pausing for just a moment before she began to walk towards the stairs.

"We're here if you need us." Stef said to Callie's retreating figure.

Callie nodded once in understanding and then disappeared up the stairs as Lena looked on with love. Stef was hurt and angry but that never stopped her from still being there for her family whenever they needed her. They would get through this just like they get through everything. Things may never be entirely the same again but just as long as they were together then they would find a way to make it work.

Author's Note:

First, thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed this. I know I don't write as often as I used to and lately I feel like my stories are very rushed (I barely even proof anymore) but I still enjoy it and I hope you do too. I also want to apologize to everyone who's stories I am reading - I've basically stopped reviewing and I feel like a witch for it. I will definitely do better but just so you know - if I've favorited your story then I love it.

If I were Courtney, I would not have let Brandon move in. Being a single parent with a young son, I would be very careful about bringing someone into my son's life on a permanent basis, no matter how kind, good and helpful he is. I would wait until things got really serious before making him a permeant figure in my kids life. Brandon shouldn't just assume that Courtney wants him to move in and she should feel like she has no choice since he got her the house. But then again... It's Brandon and he's a selfish, entitled brat.

As much as I loved the moms reassuring Callie that they still loved and wanted her, I once again felt like consequences were overlooked. They were hurt and betrayed and that doesn't just go away because Callie is scared. Okay, she was insecure so they reassured her but they do have a right to be angry without worrying about her reaction.

About the sequel to Girl Next Door. I'm having a little trouble finding a flow because I keep thinking it's too similar to Place at the Table by Meyouthem123 (who requested Girl Next Door). I want it to be different and so it will take a while. In the mean time I have another oneshot request that will be up in a couple of days and then I will either work on my version of season 4 or another sequel to the Push series. I know I originally gave you the vote but that story just isn't flowing yet. As for History, I've got a bit of writer's block there too but it will be back eventually. Sorry for the long wait but I have the lightest sleeper for a daughter in the world and no one besides me to look after her so daytimes are basically only for her. I only write after she's in bed and that's also if I'm not dead myself.

Thanks again for reading and reviewing. You guys are the best.

Love Junebug.