A Different Way To Finding Each Other

Hurt and Caught

"Is it bad Captain?" Nicole and Stef asked. 

"It is. The Foster care shelter caught on fire and lots of foster care kids have no place to go and it was set on fire by one of the foster care kids."

"Who?" Mike asked. His heart was trying to tell him something.

"Mariana Alma Gutierrez and she's in the wind," she replied. "It is reported that she caused it. But no one saw her."

"If she took off she sounds guilty in my book," Nicole replied.

"She's a foster kid," Mike added.

"Mike don't. You even told me she was out of control," Nicole replied. "Just because she is Ana's daughter means shit to me."

"I need to agree with Nicole. I always say foster kids aren't their files, but this girl is and if she ran, she did it."

"You are being biased," Mike added.

"And you aren't?" Nicole asked. "All we know is that she is accused of setting a foster care shelter on fire and she ran? If this was another foster care kid? Would we even be discussing this?" 

"She never got a chance," Mike defended. "No one wanted her."

"Don't play that shit Mike. She had every opportunity to get better and she fucked up every time. She is the one that doesn't want to get help and don't blame the foster parents or their kids," Stef added. "So this is Callie's fault?"

"I didn't say that," Mike defended.

"You are just like Ana. The two of you blame others, but not Mariana. Why out of all of Ana's kids was Mariana the way she is?"

"I don't know," Mike defended. "She never got a chance."

"She got plenty of chances Mike. She never wanted to get better. Kind of like drunks. They need to get better on their own. So is it the twins fault or mine you were an alcoholic?" Stef asked.

"That was a low blow."

"Is it our faults our twins did pot?"

"No," he added.

"So why is it other people's fault Mariana is the way she is?"

"Mike she got plenty if chances and fucked up each one."

"Mike if you think she didn't get a chance move her in with you and Nicole."

"I have Isabella to worry about," Mike replied.

"Then stop you damn bitching," Stef added. "Captain what about the other kids?"

"Juvenile Hall," Captain Roberts replied. "Jackson Owens is asking all foster care parents to take in kids till a new shelter is found."

"Too bad and thank God Lena and I aren't foster parents."

"But we are," Mike replied.

"But no room," Nicole replied. "And we have our kids to worry and think about."

At Ana Gutierrez's home, she heard a knock and it was Mike. "Hi Mike. What's up?"

"We need to talk," he added.

"Is this about Ian and Isabella?"

"No. This is about Mariana," Mike replied. "She is our main suspect in the fire at the foster care shelter."

"No. She would not do that," Ana added. 

"You don't know her and I'm sorry but who else could have done it?"

"She has a past and a record and she is an easy target."

"Lots of foster care kids are displaced and if she comes here you need to report it and this house and all of your families homes are being watched. If she is caught and your family is hiding her she will get arrested and so will people in your family."