I don't own anything... I know it makes me sad too. :(

The rain had stopped. Just as quickly as the onslaught started, it came to an end. But the weather had done its job, both Callie and Stef had been soaked to the bone. Not one piece of clothing had been sparred.

Stef didn't know if it was the blood loss, the shock or the rain that left Callie shivering in her arms.

"Mike go get the emergency blanket from the car." It was softly spoken, but given the fact that Mike got up she knew she had been heard.

"Callie, the ambulance is on its way." Stef spoke softly, Callie meeting her eyes. "You just have to stay awake, okay? Can you do that for me?"

"It was Liam." Callie spoke, her raspy voice being nearly cut off by a group of torturous sounding coughs. Coughs that shook her already frail body.

The police officer in Stef wanted to press Callie for more details, but the mother wanted to stop what appeared to be a final attempt for justice, because Callie was not dying.

"I tried fa-fa-fighting. Bu-Bu-but it didn't help-p-p. It never help-p-ped." Fresh tears flowed from her eyes. Stef knew they weren't just talking about the incident that occurred today.

"I know baby, but I'm here now. I'm not going to let anything else happen to you." She turned to head to her ex-husband, while applied more preesure to what looked to be the most serious wound. "Where's that damn ambulance?!" she spewed through clenched teeth?"

It seemed like hours before the arrival of the EMT's.

"I called Lena, she's going to meet you at the hospital." She sent a grateful look to the father of her child before turning her attention back to her daughter.

"Who are you?" The paramedic was cold, but Stef couldn't complain. His whole focus seemed to be on her child.

"Stefanie Foster, I'm Callie's foster-mom." They were walking to the ambulance, when the paramedic started to ignore her completely and turn her attention back to Callie.

"Callie, can you tell me if you are allergic to anything?"

"Penicillin." Stef answered for her. The man, looked slightly shocked, most foster parents probably didn't know the small details of their foster children. They came and went so frequently.

"Callie, I need you to keep your eyes open."

Once in the ambulance, Stef had to everything not to gasp, scream in horrified terror. The lighting was bright, so much so that every bruise, cut, and fucking stab wound was visible. Some asshole had stabbed her child. Behind the anxiety, behind the fear, was anger. Fury boiling at the pit of her stomach.

She clutched Callie's hand just a little bit tighter. Callie must have felt the difference, her head turned to face her foster mother. Her chest rising in shallow, rapid gasps. Her lips turning a pale blue.

"Callie?" she all but yelled moving to be next to her daughter, to help somehow.

"Ma'am, you need to stay back." He turned his attention to the driver in the front seat and the EMT next to him. "Keep her steady Sam."

-The-Fosters-

"Jesus, for the love of God, would you just leave your brother alone." Lena yelled over the chaos.

While Jesus viewed being an older brother as doing nothing but tormenting his younger brother (how else is he going to learn to stick up for himself mom? I'm teaching him valuable life lessons.), Jude did not agree.

"Where's the phone?" she yelled over the chaos, once again, after the third ring she managed to find it under a old newspaper and Jesus' skateboard.

"Hello?"

"Lena, it's Mike, you need to get down to St. Peter's."

"What happened?" She stopped breathing. One Mississippi, two Mississippi.

"St. Peter's." The line went dead. Don't panic, remain calm.

"Mom, what's wrong?" It was Brandon.

It took her longer then it should have to answer him. "I need you to stay with the twins and Jude." She walked away to grab her purse and keys, Brandon followed her.

"Is it Callie?" He was talking in the same low tone as she was.

"I don't know Brandon, I have to get down to St. Peter's. I need you to keep the kid's calm and home. Please do this for me."

"You know I will mom."

"That's my boy" Patting his cheek, before turning and heading out the door.

-The-Fosters-

"What do you mean I can't stay with her. I'm her mother!" Stef knew yelling at a nurse wouldn't help her, but her anger was boiling over, and underneath that, helplessness.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but the doctors need room to work. If something changes we'll come get you." Translation, if we think she's going to die, we'll come let you be with her until she dies.

"Stef!" It was Lena, and Stef didn't think she'd ever been so relieved to see her wife.

Walking away from the nurse without another word, she enveloped her wife in a bone crushing hug. "I'm so glad you're here."

Pulling away from her wife, Lena finally noticed. "You're soaked to the bone." Her heart jumped, "Is that blood?"

"Yeah" she spoke softly, "It's Callie's."

She had to sit down, half walking, half stumbling, she made her way to the plastic chair. After a few minutes of breathing she noticed Stef standing over her shoulder. "What happened?"

"She told me it was Liam. Have you ever heard her mention him." After a shake of the head she continued, but not before placing her hand on Lena's knee. Comforting her in the only way she could now. "She was beaten… badly."

"She's going to be alright, though? I mean, it wasn't life threatening."

I don't know. "She's going to be fine."

-The-Fosters-

"You two must be Callie's foster mothers?" The doctor, an older male, asked after nearly three hours of sitting in the waiting room. In that time, Stef had had her statement taken by an old friend from te department, had changed into OR scrubs, and had drunk 3 bottles of mountain dew.

"Yes, how is she?" Stef asked.

"She's resting, how about we move this to someplace more private."

Once they were sitting in the mans private office, he started.

"Callie is a very lucky young lady. I'm going to be frank with you, it was close call for a while there, but she's a fighter."

"Yes she is." Lena smiled fondly.

"Callie's most serious injury, is what we call a pneumothorax, where blood or air collect in the cavity surrounding the lung. In Callie's case it was blood from a tear caused by a broken rib. This can make it very hard to breathe. We inserted a chest tube, to empty the blood and relieve the pressure on her lung. The tear was small so were hoping it will heal on it's own. If it doesn't, she's going to need surgery." He paused to catch a breathe, the two woman hadn't said anything, instead they held each others hands tightly, their knuckles turning white.

"Aside from that, Callie was stabbed a total of four times, thankfully missing any internal organs. They required a total of 17 stitches. Her wrist was broken as was her ulna on her right arm. We casted it, and gave her some pain killers. They should heal in about four to six weeks. Nearly her entire back, chest and stomach are covered in scrapes and contusions. But baring no complications she should escape this whole ordeal with minimal injuries." Don't throw up, Don't throw up.

She didn't want to ask, but it had to be done. The torn clothing, the violence. "Was a rape kit performed?"

"Yes, there was no evidence of rape." She and Lena exhaled louder then either of them had thought.

"Can we see her?"

"Of course, right this way. Once Callie stabilizes a bit, she'll be moved to the surgical step down unit, a halfway point between an intensive care unit and a regular pediatric floor. Now, when you see her, it might be a little shocking so I'm going to explain some things you're going to see. Because of the pneumothorax, Callie's on something we call a nonrebreather that gives her 100% oxygen so her body doesn't have to work as hard. It covers her mouth and nose. She has a chest tube connected to a drain, on her right side. She also has two IV's, one giving her fluids, and another giving her an antibiotic."

He stopped outside a room, "She's right in there. Let me know if you need anything."

On one hand Stef wanted to run in to that room scoop Callie into her arms, and stay like that until she got better. But the part that was in control was hesitant, afraid to see her daughter in this state.

Lena, the ever rock solid Lena (one of the things she loved best), took the lead, and with their hands intertwined walked into Callie's room.

-The Fosters-

She could feel Stef's hand grasp her harder just ever so slightly. One part of her expected Callie to be awake and smiling, (something she did so much more often these days) and talking about how she would get to miss school for a few days (How will I ever survive, Lena?)

But she wasn't laughing, smiling, or even awake.

She was pale, too too pale, and quiet. Her long eyelashes sitting on top of her check. Her bruised and cut cheeks. Her hand when grasped in Lena's was too cold, was cut up and was bandaged.

Brushing a stray piece of hair away from Callie's face she spoke softly, "Callie? Callie, baby, can you hear me?" She felt Callie stir ever so slightly. "Callie, it's me Lena, and Stef is here too. Can you open your eyes for us?" She tried calling to her for a few more minute before giving up. If Callie was that tired then she would let her sleep.

"Babe?" She felt Stef lay her hand on her shoulder. "I'm going to go call the kids and Mike." She turned to look at her partner.

"Find out who did this to our little girl."

-The Fosters-

"Mom?"

"Hey B-"

"How's Callie, is she okay?" His voice was coming out rushed, panicked.

"She's pretty beat up, but she'll be fine."

"Mom" He sounded one step away from sobbing

"B, she'll be fine."

"Mom. This is all my fault." He was crying.

Stef grasped her phone tighter. "Brandon, you need to listen to me. Are you listening? This was not your fault, do you hear me?"

"I should have given her a ride home, Mom. If she hadn't had to walk -"

"No. This was someone's fault, but not yours."

"Do you know who did it?"

"Callie said the name Liam. Did she ever talk about him?"

He paused, she could hear his wheels turning over the phone. "Yeah Mom, she did."

-The Fosters-

It took less convincing then should had thought for Lena to agree that she should be the one to go arrest Liam, who turned out to be Liam Wentworth. A son of one of Callie's previous foster families. Once Stef had told Lena the things that Brandon had told her, it was almost simple. Death threats, abuse, rape. Their daughter had been raped by him.

Both Stef and Lena had known about the rape. It was something Callie had opened up about seven months into their placement. But to have a name, and to soon have a face as well…

With Mike next to her she knocked on the door, arrest warrant sitting ever so nicely in her pocket, gun drawn. "Police, Open up!"

A tired looking woman in her mid thirties came to the door. Her face changing to fear when she saw the guns.

"We have an arrest warrant for Liam Wentworth, is he here?"

"Liam? But he didn't do anything." A man placed his hand on her shoulder, obviously her husband.

"We knew the police would come eventually." The man stated. "Liam's in the living room." The house was large and spacious. These people were definitely of upper class.

"Liam Wentworth?" The boy, about six foot three, with brown hair and brown eyes looked at them. Blood caked his hands and in front of him sat a bloody knife.

"Liam Wentworth stand up slowly, keep your hands where we can see them and step away from the weapon."

Placing the hand cuff's just a little bit tighter then normally, Stef lead the boy out of the house.

"She deserved what she got. If you knew her, you would be thanking me.""

"That girl who deserved it? That's my daughter." She could hear the pure hate in her own voice, and by the way he stiffened, she knew he heard it too. It felt better then it probably should have.

-The Fosters-

It had taken almost five hours but Callie had eventually woken. It had taken nearly an hour to explain what had gone on. First Callie spoke, then Stef. Liam had confessed to tring to kill Callie, and would have succeeded if there hadn't been the car accident two buildings down. He knew the police would be showing up and didn't want to get caught. Panicked, he fled. His parents had know something had happened but couldn't call the police on their own child. He was being held without bail.

At almost three in the morning Callie had fallen back asleep, clutching Stef's hand like it was the last lifeline she would ever have. Stef hoped that wouldn't be the case.

Lena had gone home to pick up some of Callie's things. She would be in the hospital for the next couple of days, maybe the next week.

"Stef?"

"Hey baby, I thought you were asleep."

"Half-sleeping." Her voice was slurred.

"I'm so sorry Callie."

"For what?'

"For everything."

"It was my fault, not yours. I walked home alone. I told on Liam, if I hadn't done that then this never would have happened."

"That's not true." Stef said swiping hair out of Callie's face, "you were right to tell, I'm just sorry you hadn't been taken seriously. That what had happened to you was something that was just another let done by the adults around you."

-The Fosters-

When Lena walked into the house she was expecting to find four sleeping children. Instead she found Jude sleeping and the three older ones sitting at the kitchen table.

"What are you guys still doing up?"

"We wanted to hear about Callie." Jesus answered. "We wanted to be able to talk to one of you guys."

"Me and Stef wanted to talk to you guys too."

First Lena told them everything, except the past abuse. That was Callie's business. Then she started on what had been on the two mom's minds.

"We want to know if you guys are comfortable with making Callie and Jude permanent members of this family."

-The Fosters-

Callie was finally going home, and after some convincing that the adoption was not related to guilt or protectiveness she had agreed. Although secretly she had been thrilled. Absolutely thrilled.

She was just starting to pack up her things from the hospital when Jude walked in.

"Hey buddy. You here by yourself?"

"No moms are parking the car." It had been awhile since either had got to use that word.

"You happy?" Callie asked sitting on the edge of her bed. "We haven't had much time to talk."

"Very, like really happy." She just smiled and ruffled his hair. "Callie?"

"Yeah bud?"

"Everything's going to be okay, right?"

"Yeah Jude, I think it is."

Can I just say how absolutely amazing you guys are. Seriously. 39 reviews for one chapter, in a forum with not even a 150 stories. I was hoping for a review.

Well, how did you like the chapter? Sorry it took so long to get out. What can I say life suck, and is always busy. Plus we've been having monstrous thunder storms, and that means no computer. : (

I'll probably be writing more stories in this section , The Fosters is my newest addiction. So keep an eye out!

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and it was worth the wait.

Until next time, Fishie.