So this was bugging me and I just had to write it.

That afternoon Stef was expecting to come home to an empty house. Lena was still a work, busy with meetings and preparing for some standardized test for the high school students. Brandon was with his dad, the twins were off fighting over who got to spend time with Lexi and Callie and Jude were supposed to be at their respective after school meetings. All that to say, Stef was pretty confused when she came home to see two backpacks sitting near the front door. She looked around and didn't see any of her children and just as she was about to head upstairs to see if they were there something caught her eye. The backdoor was open so that the screen door was shut, but the glass door was wide open, letting in a breeze. Stef went into the kitchen quietly and quickly saw Jude sitting outside on a blanket with Callie sitting a few feet to his left with her guitar in her hands. Just as she was about to step outside and check on the two of them, she heard Callie singing and she stopped and stood perfectly still at the door, now more interested in listening to the troubled teenager sing.

When the calls and conversations

Accidents and accusations

Messages and misperceptions

Paralyze my mind

Busses, cars, and airplanes leaving

Burning fumes of gasoline

And everyone is running

And I come to find a refuge in the

Easy silence that you make for me

It's okay when there's nothing more to say to me

And the peaceful quiet you create for me

And the way you keep the world at bay for me

The way you keep the world at bay

Monkeys on the barricades

Are warning us to back away

They form commissions trying to find

The next one they can crucify

And anger plays on every station

Answers only make more questions

I need something to believe in

Breathe in sanctuary in the

Easy silence that you make for me

It's okay when there's nothing more to say to me

And the peaceful quiet you create for me

And the way you keep the world at bay for me

The way you keep the world at bay

Children lose their youth too soon

Watching war made us immune

And I've got all the world to lose

But I just want to hold on to the

Jude snuggled into his sister's shoulder as she played the guitar and sang. Stef was sure she hadn't seen the two of them so relaxed since they had arrived and yet that peacefulness seemed to come at a price.

Easy silence that you make for me

It's okay when there's nothing more to say to me

And the peaceful quiet you create for me

And the way you keep the world at bay for me

The easy silence that you make for me

It's okay when there's nothing more to say to me

And the peaceful quiet you create for me

And the way you keep the world at bay for me

The way you keep the world at bay for me

The way you keep the world at bay

Callie put the guitar down and let her baby brother crawl into her lap. Stef watched as the teenager rocked her brother back and forth like one would rock a baby or a child that was upset. She couldn't hear what Callie was saying, but she could see her kiss the top of Jude's head every now and then and continue to soothe the little boy in her arms. After a few minutes like that Jude stood up from his sister's embrace and brushed tears off his face. He began to head towards the house and Stef tried to pretend to do something in the kitchen.

"Hey Stef." The little boy greeted the blonde officer as he grabbed a snack from the fridge.

"Hey sweetheart, didn't you have tutoring after school today?"

"They had a family emergency so Callie walked me home." Stef looked back over her shoulder to see the teenager still sitting outside, not moving from her spot on the grass.

"Well that was nice of her, but didn't she have her group therapy appointment today?"

"She said I was more important."

"Well she was right that you are very important, but did something happen today that made her want to stick close to you?" Stef was met with a silence that told her that the normally honest little boy didn't want to tell a lie so he opted to say nothing.

"Did something happen at school again?" Stef knelt down so that she and Jude were eye level and the shy little boy finally nodded his head, yes.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

"They were making fun of me again." Jude kept his eyes trained on the floor and refused to make eye contact.

"Because of the nail polish?" Stef was unsure what the hell the big deal was, so he liked blue nail polish, what did it matter?

"No, they were calling me names." That made Stef pause because she almost positive where this story was going and she didn't like it. Every once in a while she was reminded that their house wasn't a fair representation of how the rest of the world worked.

"What kind of names sweetie?" Jude shook his head and Stef understood; he didn't want to say them out loud to her. She grabbed her notepad form her belt and handed it to him.

"Could you write them down for me?" Jude hesitantly took the pad and pencil and wrote down the words and handed the items back to Stef. As she read them over Stef's heart broke for the little boy because sadly she hadn't been wrong and that list was a small example of the popular homophobic slurs of the times they lived in.

"Honey, do you even know what these words mean?" Jude nodded that he did.

"Can I ask you, did these names hurt your feelings because they were being mean or did they hurt your feelings because they were mean and they carry a small amount of truth in them?" Stef wasn't sure what kind of response she was expecting from a child of Jude's age. I mean she didn't come out until she was well into her adult life and there she was, asking a child if he thought he might like boys. Stef could see the struggle on the little boys face and she rubbed his shoulder in an effort to comfort him.

"You wouldn't be mad at me right?"

"Oh sweetheart of course not, we're going to love you no matter what, who you love will never change that. And you don't have to have the answers right now, but you also don't have to let them get away with bullying you ok?" Stef saw a tears roll down Jude's face and she let him wrap her up in a hug. When he let go, Stef stood back and told him that he could help her with dinner if he washed up really fast. A smile quickly spread across his face and Jude ran upstairs to clean up. Stef quickly stepped outside, only to hear Callie playing another song on her guitar.

Seeing the ashes in my heart

The smile the widest

When I cry inside and my insides blow apart

I tried to wear another face

Just to make you proud

Just to make you put me in my place

But everything you wanted from me

Is everything that I could never be

The cities grow

The rivers flow

Where you are, I'll never know

But I'm still here

If you were right and I was wrong

Why are you the one who's gone

And I'm still here

Maybe tonight

It's gonna be alright

I will get better

Maybe today

It's gonna be okay

I will remember

I held the pieces of my soul

I was shattered and I wanted you to come and make me whole

When I saw you yesterday

But you didn't notice

And you just walked away

Cause everything you wanted me to hide

Is everything that makes me feel alive

The cities grow

The rivers flow

Where you are, I'll never know

But I'm still here

If you were right and I was wrong

Why are you the one who's gone

And I'm still here

The lights go out, the bridges burn

Once you're gone, you can't return

But I'm still here

Remember how you used to say I'd be the one to runaway

But I'm still here

Stef walked over to the blanket and she clapped softly as she sat down across from the teenager.

"You are getting scary good on that thing and when were you going to share with us that you could sing?"

"Hidden talents are kind of my thing." Callie tried to smile and ignore the compliment. They sat in an awkward silence for a few minutes before Stef spoke again.

"So are you going to tell me what you ended up saying to him to make him feel better?"

"Simple: told him what I've been telling him since he was born. I love him and that if other people can't see how amazing he is they can go to hell."

"Callie." Stef tried to discourage the language, but a small smile spread across her face.

"Relax I didn't say it like that. I told him that he had to live his life and follow his heart, other people will love him or hate him for it and the people who can't love him aren't worth his time. Focus on the love you have, hold onto it and keep going."

"That's very profound."

"Look, I'll be honest with you: he could come to me tomorrow and tell me that he is in love with the mail box out front and I would fight with every breath I have to make sure he gets treated with dignity and respect in this world. Who he loved has never been an issue for me. I know that he's gay, he may not like saying it, but I raised him, I know. He knows that I'll love him no matter what and nothing else matters. If he follows his heart and doesn't hurt anyone by doing that, he has nothing to apologize for and there is nothing wrong with him."

"Seeing how much you love him is inspiring, you know that right? You talk about him like he's your son and that love runs deep Callie."

"He would have been my son if it hadn't been for my stint in Juvie." Callie focused her attention on adjusting the strings on the guitar and avoided looking at Stef.

"What do you mean?'

"I was filing to become an emancipated minor and as soon as I had a job I would file to adopt him. That way no one could ever tell me that legally I had no claim to him. You can't take him from me if he is my son."

"That's was a pretty large commitment you were willing to make."

"Ever since our mom died, he's always been like my son. You all think I'm nuts for not caring that night if I got shot, but you don't get it. I would throw myself in front of every danger in this world if it meant he was safe and happy and loved."

"You do realize that you can let us help you with that right? We aren't going to let anything happen to the two of you while you're here."

"While we are here…that's the problem." Callie put the guitar down and made eye contact with Stef.

"He doesn't remember all the foster homes we've been in, but I do. And if we went to the hospital right now I could get my records and show you which injury came from which "home". Callie lifted up one side of her shirt, revealing scaring on her ribcage.

"Three broken ribs, one punctured a lung. Required major surgery. I was 10 years old and they left me at the hospital afterwards.

She stuck out her right leg and there was more scars around her ankle.

"The dad got drunk one night, pushed me down three flights of stairs. Broke my ankle and my leg in three places. I was 11."

"Then there was the one that liked using the belt. Tried hitting Jude with it and I threw myself on top of him. He hit me with that belt for 3 hours until the skin broke." Callie raise her shirt up just enough for Stef to see the healed scars that could only come from someone being whipped repeatedly.

"And then there was the one that locked my in the truck of their car for two days. I was 13 and while I don't have scars from it I to this day refuse to get in any car that was made before 1985 because that stupid car was a classic that the dad had fixed up."

She turned her arm over and held it out so that Stef could see more scars that littered her pale skin, only these ones were different. They were faded just like the others, but they were so neat and clean that only one thing could have caused them. Stef had seen those kinds of injuries before and as if what Callie had gone through wasn't bad enough now Stef realized that the teen had reached a point where hurting herself was the only option she felt she had left.

"And those, well, I doubt I have to explain where those came from. I mean I get it, I should be grateful that those families took both of us, but the ones that didn't physically beat me found it more than appropriate to make me the scapegoat. So I just want you to understand something, this is the first house we have ever lived in where we we're actually safe. First house in our entire lives where the parents didn't beat me or try to beat him. 15 years and this is the first time I haven't had to sleep with a knife under my pillow and it's temporary. Don't get me wrong I am beyond grateful for what you all are doing, but one day we'll get sent away and he's not going to be safe anymore."

Stef at a huge loss and there was nothing she could do to hide the tears in her eyes. She and Lena both knew that Callie had been through a certain amount of hell, but neither of them could have predicted this level of abuse.

"Callie, worrying about how long you are going to stay here isn't going to make you feel any better. Besides we are working really hard to make sure you don't have to go anywhere, just have a little faith in us."

"Trusting people hasn't usually ended well for me."

"Do you trust me?"

"I don't want to, but I do."

"Then give me some time to try and work out a way for this to work alright? We aren't giving you up without a fight."

Callie looked at the older woman as she stood up from the grass.

"I'm sorry. It's just…no one's ever put me first or fought for me." Stef swallowed some tears and held out her hand for Callie to take.

"Well, get used to it because we aren't giving up on you ever." Callie accepted her hand and pulled herself up from the ground. With the guitar in her hand she started following Stef into the house, but before they walked into the kitchen Stef stopped the teenager.

"One more thing." Stef gently took Callie's arm in her hand and pointed at the scars that looked like they had healed a few months ago. "No more of this."

Callie shook her head, "I can try, but it's not as easy to give up as you might think."

"I know, I've seen a lot of kids deal with this, but I just want you to try. Come talk to me or Lena if it gets this bad again, ok?"

Callie wasn't used to anyone caring this much about her. She locked eye with the blonde and tentatively nodded her head, "ok."

"Good, now come on you and Jude can help me start dinner and by start dinner I mean you can help me decide where we are ordering in from." That lame joke finally got Callie to smile and that was enough to make Stef feel more at ease as they joined Jude in the house.

Ok so I have no idea how old we are supposed to pretend Callie or Jude is, but I just went with what made sense to me. I might write other chapters to this, but I have other stories to tend to first so we shall see what happens.