Disclaimer: I do not own The Fosters or any of the characters

Stef Foster lay awake, letting the minutes tick by. She tossed and turned, but she couldn't even close her eyes. All she could think about was that Callie was out there somewhere, alone and scared. Stef was a cop, and she knew what a dangerous world it was. Especially for a vulnerable teenage girl with no place to go. I have to find my baby, she thought, rolling out of bed, and abandoning the act of pretending she'd turned in for the night. I have to find her now. As she threw on her clothes, Lena stirred and opened her eyes. "Where are you going?" she slurred.

"I need some air," Stef mumbled back.

"Going to look for Callie again?" her wife replied.

Stef nodded solemnly. "I have to. I can't even function, I'm so worried. And I have a hunch."

"Be safe, hon," Lena warned before drifting back into sleep.

As Stef drove down the highway, into the desert, her thoughts raced. Callie was out there somewhere. How far could she have gotten with no money? Her eyes filled with tears, and she let them fall, thinking about the night before, when the whole family was dancing at the wedding. She'd taken Callie into her arms and danced with her for a few moments. Just then, she truly felt like her mother. She was her mother. Stef knew her own mom had reservations about she and Lena adopting the Jacob kids. Well, Callie anyway. Her mother seemed to have taken a liking to Jude. Already, he was like a grandchild to her. He was cute and loveable. How could she not fall for him? But Stef couldn't figure out why her mother couldn't see the potential in Callie. Sure, she was troubled. But she was also kindhearted, once you got to know her, and fiercely loyal, incredibly strong and brave, and beautiful and bright. She was so much more than a label on a file folder. She was a child, and she needed to be loved just as much as her brother did. Maybe even more. And Stef had no doubt in her heart or mind that she and Lena were the ones to give it to her.

As Stef drove, she alternated between brushing away the tears that blurred her vision, and scanning the streets for Callie. She did a double take every time she saw a petite brunette, but none of them were hers. What am I doing? she thought, ready to give up. Like I'm gonna find her. Why would she be here? As she drove around a corner, intending to make a u-turn toward home, she saw a cluster of trashy-looking young women standing around. Hookers. Always in cop mode, she itched to bust them. But, slowing down as she passed, one girl on the fringe of the group caught her eye, because she didn't quite fit in with the rest. For one thing, she was fully dressed. And for another, she looked frightened out of her mind. Curious, Stef pulled up to the curb. And when the brown-haired girl turned her head for a split second, her stomach dropped to her feet. "Oh god, no," she gasped quietly. "No." She felt sick. The last thing she wanted was to see was her daughter hanging around with prostitutes. She wouldn't let Callie become one of them, not while there was air in her lungs. It was time to be firm.

Throwing open the car door, Stef hurried to the sidewalk. "Callie Jacob!" she cried. "Get over here now." Callie's eyes went wide, and she turned to flee again, but Stef blocked her. Looking into those sad, terrified brown eyes, her heart softened, and her firm front dissolved. "Don't run, baby," she sobbed. "You don't have to run anymore."

"Just let me go," Callie pleaded, beginning to cry. "You guys are better off without me."

"No, we aren't," Stef told her."And I think you know that." She took Callie's hand, holding it tight. "Just tell me... did I do something to make you leave? Or Lena? Because I can't help but worry that you ran away because we want to adopt you. Callie, if I did anything to make you feel unwanted, I could never forgive myself."

Callie shook her head. "No. It wasn't anything you did. I just..." Without finishing her sentence, she sunk down, sitting on the curb.

Stef sat down beside her, putting her arm around her shoulders. "I think I know what's going on, sweetheart. You're scared. You told Wyatt that things weren't working out. That we were probably going to send you away. But you know that isn't true. I think you're afraid that if you get comfortable in our family and come to love us, we'll eventually let you down. And that would hurt you too much. So, you decided to hurt us before we could hurt you. Am I right?"

Callie said nothing in reply, so Stef continued. "If that's the case, I want you to know I understand. Nothing in your past ever led you to believe things would be different with us, so why would you want to set yourself up for heartbreak? You were just protecting yourself the only way you knew how. But you don't have to be afraid of us. We aren't like the others." She squeezed Callie's shoulder reassuringly. "Let your guard down, baby. Let us love you. I promise we won't disappoint you."

With that, the young girl collapsed into her arms, breaking down. Stef hugged her close, rubbing her back in slow circles. "Come home, darling," she whispered softly. "Please. Our family isn't complete without you. It killed me when we discovered you were missing." She pressed her lips to Callie's forehead, giving her a soft kiss. "I love you, and so does Lena. You're our little girl now, whether you like it or not. Please, honey. Let me take you home? If you don't, you know I'm gonna have to stay out here with you now, right? If you're stuck with me either way, it might as well be at the house."

Callie continued to weep, her face buried in Stef's shoulder. Silently, Stef held her, letting her have a moment to get her feelings out as she comforted her. Then, she leaned in closer, sensing Callie's resolve to be difficult was weakening. "Please," she whispered again. "Let mama take you home."

Finally, Callie looked up through swollen eyelids. Her tear-stained face was clouded with a hint of confusion and a lot of fear. "Okay," she breathed, so quietly it was barely audible.

Stef smiled, fresh tears falling, and stood up. She held out her hand, and when Callie took it, she pulled her to her feet. Then, she led her daughter to the car.