Title: Veritas Vos Liberabit
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Rating: M for violence, sex
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.
Summary: Very AU. Arizona and Callie meet in prison. Can their love withstand societal pressures, racial tension, and Callie's ultimate struggle for freedom?
A/N: I literally cannot believe that I'm starting another huge fic, while I have one going and while I'm heading into finals, but I just couldn't help myself. I apologize for the crappy summary – I hope you guys stick with it regardless! Credit for the title idea goes to Jamie (thank you!), and it means "The Truth Will Set You Free" in Latin. This first chapter is just a set up to the plot; I promise the next one will be longer and more interesting. :)
Veritas Vos Liberabit
Callie Torres awoke to the jarring sound of the harsh metal grate rolling into place. She watched curiously from her spot on her bunk as a seemingly pleasant blonde was pushed into the cell. The blonde offered her a smile, which revealed evidence of dimples in her pale cheeks. Callie cocked her head to the side and watched the blonde curiously. During her entire one year stint she had never once seen anyone smile when being pushed into a jail cell. She was slightly unnerved, but she also really wanted to see those dimples again.
"Torres, this is Robbins. Robbins, Torres. You guys are cellmates," the guard spoke with an air of complete indifference, before shutting the door with a clang and locking it behind her.
"Hi, I'm Arizona," the blonde smiled gently. After receiving nothing but a blank stare from her new cellmate, she continued. "She called me Robbins, so I just wanted you to know what my first name is, you know, because we're roomies."
Roomies? Seriously? Callie was wondering how her new cellmate hadn't gotten off with an insanity defense.
"So, what's your name?" Arizona asked expectantly, breaking Callie out of her reverie.
"Um…it's Callie," the brunette revealed slowly.
"Callie, that's nice. Is it short for something? Caroline?"
"Uh, no, not Caroline."
"Hmmm…then what?"
Callie realized quickly that her "roomie" was persistent, and that it would probably be easier just to answer her questions. Hopefully that would make her shut up.
"Calliope," Callie muttered under her breath.
"What was that?" Arizona asked quite cheerfully.
"Calliope," Callie spoke louder.
"Calliope! That's beautiful! Do you mind if I call you that?" Arizona asked with almost a childlike enthusiasm.
Callie raised an eyebrow. Did this woman even know she was in jail?
"Uh, sure, whatever. Just not in public. I have a reputation."
Arizona wanted to laugh at Callie's carefully constructed badass persona, but thought better of it. She had a feeling she didn't want to get on her bad side. She was also insanely curious about the beautiful, somber brunette. Callie had a tough exterior, but already Arizona couldn't imagine her doing anything that would land her in jail. But then again, Arizona herself had wound up in jail, which was not something anyone had ever expected would happen. Arizona wanted to ask her cellmate what she had done, how much time she had left, but it was clear that Callie did not want to talk. The gorgeous Latina now had her back turned to Arizona as she lay on her side on the bottom bunk.
A loud "light's out!" rang from down the hallway, followed by the overhead lights clicking off in quick succession. Arizona sighed before clambering up to her bunk. She lay back on the hard mattress and pulled her thin blanket over her shoulders, trying futilely to combat the sheer cold coming from the concrete walls and metal bed frame.
The jail was eerily silent. Arizona had expected it to be constantly loud, making it hard to sleep. But to her dismay, the silence left her with no distractions, and she was forced to realize her predicament. Her cheery disposition from just moments ago had almost entirely disappeared as she was plunged into the memories and the pain, both past and present.
She rolled over on the mattress and the bed frame squeaked loudly. Beneath her, her bunkmate groaned, before also rolling over.
All of a sudden, a low murmur of activity hummed down the hallway, as if sparked by the slight noise of a rusty metal bed. Arizona could hear a whispered conversation from the cell next to her. Across the hall, a woman could be heard gently crying herself to sleep. From somewhere down the hall, Arizona could make out someone moaning, but couldn't tell if it was out of pleasure or pain. The sounds mixed together and created a haunting melody that pervaded Arizona's thoughts. She shivered and pulled the blanket over her head, trying to ward off the plaintive sounds that swirled all around her.
She nearly laughed when her bunkmate's soft snores were added to the ever-growing cacophony. Apparently, Callie had no trouble falling asleep to the dull roar. Arizona presumed it was something one gets used to, which led her to wonder just how long Callie had been at the Los Angeles Women's Correctional Facility. She snorted to herself when she thought of the name. She didn't need correcting; she was perfectly fine. She was human, she had made a mistake. She didn't need correcting.
Arizona rolled over once again in her bed, thoughts of the circumstances of her imprisonment floating around her head. She shook her head as if trying to physically eject the thoughts. A barrage of images overwhelmed her as she was thrown back to that fateful day: the glaring lights of the police cars, the face of a horrified little girl staring up at her, the broken window. As she willed herself back into the present, she felt hot tears gliding down her cheeks. She didn't bother to wipe them away as wave upon wave of tears began coursing down her face. She shook gently with her silent sobs, trying to remain as quiet as possible. The last thing she needed was to show her weakness and be bullied because of it. Eventually her tears subsided and she fell into a restless slumber, thinking only of the reason she was in this predicament in the first place.
Danny…
o0o0o
Callie awoke to screaming. It was not unusual for screams, and wails, and moans to be heard at all hours of the night throughout the prison. It was unusual, however, for Callie to be wakened by them.
Rubbing her eyes, she quickly assessed where the sound was coming from, hoping she'd be able to stop it. Realizing it was coming from directly above her, she swung her legs over the side of the bed. She hissed out a curse when her feet came in contact with the cold concrete floor. Callie wasted no time climbing up the ladder to Arizona's bunk and kneeling at the foot of her bed. Callie's heart immediately constricted at the sight of the blonde's pained face, which was illuminated by the moonlight filtering in through the bars above the bunks.
"Robbins," she said in a low voice. When Arizona stirred but did not wake, she said her last name slightly louder.
"Arizona!" Callie finally shouted, while placing her hands on Arizona's shins to stop her from flailing.
Arizona woke with a start and sat up immediately. "What?" she asked, breathless and confused.
"You were screaming," Callie said in a soft, non-judgmental tone.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Arizona said having regained full consciousness. Callie released her hold on Arizona's legs and began her descent to her own bed.
"Thanks," Arizona said softly to Callie's retreating form.
"I just wanted to get some sleep," Callie replied, a surly tone creeping into her voice.
"Goodnight, Calliope," Arizona said, undeterred by the shift in Callie's temperament.
"Night," Callie mumbled.