So, I'm entirely sure where I'm going with this update-wise, because I already have a lot of other stuff going on, but I liked the idea and know what way I want it to go. My line of thinking was basically that everything would have been a lot different for Arizona and Tim if their parents had of split because it seems to play an especially huge part of who they are/were, and not many people seem to stick together these days. It's only the Robbins in this chapter, but eventually all the other characters will work their way in (main pairings will be Arizona/Callie and Teddy/Tim) :)

So here it is. (Or, the beginning, anyway).

She worried about them as any mother worries about her kids. She didn't really have anything to worry about; they were great, they were healthy, they had their whole lives in front of them…she just wanted them to have the best, but she couldn't just hand everything she thought they deserved to them, and a mother worries the most when circumstances are out of their hands.

Barbara made her way to the door to look out to see what they were up to. They often distracted each other, but dinner was almost ready and it had been almost 10 minutes since she heard them pull in. She peeked out the door to only see one car in the driveway and neither of her kids in sight. She shook her head and made her way back inside.

xxxx-xxxx

Arizona was driving towards the Robbins' house when she saw her brother's car coming from the opposite direction pulling in seconds before her. They climbed out of their respective cars, doors slamming seconds apart.

"How was your day?" They chuckled as they asked each other at the same time

"Shitty." Again, same answer. Blue eyes narrowed across the car tops. They knew what came next.

"Donuts." Two dimpled grins appeared. They were that close; not just siblings, but best friends and it was weird how similar they thought, most of the time they could speak for each other and the words coming out of their mouths wouldn't be any truer if they spoke them themselves.

They climbed back into Tim's car and drove back out to get coffee and donuts, complaining about their days to each other about their day and their jobs in general.

This had been the longest either had been able to hold down a job. They had the determination, and could be very hard workers with great ideas…but they got bored easily, they always wanted something more. They had often been told to start their own business, but neither of them was jumping at that sort of commitment, and with their job history who's to say they wouldn't just get bored again.

So for the past 8 months Arizona had been working at a daycare and Tim had been working at an animal shelter and somehow they had arranged it so they could trade jobs every so often. The kids at the daycare loved both Arizona and Tim and they were both great with the animals, their bosses figured if letting the pair switch back in forth meant they got to keep them around then it was worth any inconvenience; the Robbins duo seemed to have a way with kids and animals that just wasn't easy to find these days.

xxxx-xxxx

They burst through the door with their box of donuts and trey of coffee, kicking their shoes off and hollering (they knew it drove their mom nuts, especially because she was always close by when they did it)

"MOOOOOOOM! WE'RE HOOOME!"

Barbara walked out from the kitchen to be greeted by her two grown children, grinning like fools and arms loaded with treats. She shook her head and smiled warmly at them "I know, dears. You were 30 minutes ago too. Rough day?"

They nodded sheepishly.

"Both of you?"

They looked at each other and then opened the box as evidence of how many sweets they had purchased and confirmed with a nod. "That would be safe to say."

Barbara sighed and made her way back to the kitchen.

"Well, dinner's ready, so your donuts will have to wait."

"But, Mom – " "…couldn't we have the donuts for dinner?" Tim and Arizona protested.

Mother Robbins couldn't help but smirk, some things never change. "No. Now come eat."

xxxx-xxxx

The trio sat at the table eating a delicious meal and talking about their day and plans for the week. Barbara listened to the pair talk about their work, she could tell that they weren't particularly happy with what they were doing, but it was still a vast improvement from how they were with previous jobs they had tried. She lovingly watched the two of them bicker back and forth about who was going to be stuck at which job for the less pleasant shifts and couldn't help but hope that everything would work out eventually.

She looked at Tim and Arizona and thought back to when they were in high school. Barbara and Daniel Robbins had gotten a divorce after Daniel had fallen in love with another woman, at first Barbara was devastated, but they eventually decided a divorce would be for the best. Barbara knew that once that emotional line was crossed it wouldn't be the same – she wouldn't be able to see Daniel the same way anymore even if they tried to stick it out, they were both too proud; it would just end in bitterness.

Colonel Daniel Robbins was all about honour and commitment, it made him especially hard to come clean about having feelings for someone else, but he knew it would be far less admirable to stay in a relationship with someone when the right kind of love wasn't there anymore. He couldn't do that to himself, or Barbara, but he was worried about the impact of his actions on his children. He had taught them their whole lives about the value of honour and commitment and "being a good man in a storm", how were they going to react to knowing that their parent's marriage wasn't a storm that he wasn't going to weather?

As expected, Timothy and Arizona took it the worst. They were upset with their father and the situation; they knew that their parents had their problems, but who doesn't? They always looked up to parents and hoped to be like them when they got older and were ready to start their own families. Then their parents called them to the family room one afternoon during summer break and everything changed. After that their Dad was no longer around…they got to stay in the same town, there would be no more moving because they had chosen to stay with their Mom…everything just…changed.

Over the years that followed they met their Dad's new girlfriend, who eventually became his new wife. They had a hard time with it, but they still made it to the wedding and would sometimes visit him when he was stationed close enough. Their Mom had a boyfriend, a local real estate agent, who was nice enough and practically lived with them now. They were happy that their parents were both happy…but sometimes it still just sucked.

Now, looking at her children, Barbara was almost glad that she and Daniel had split. She remembered how much, Timothy especially, looked up to their father. She worried that if they were still all together as one family that Tim would have followed in his father's footsteps and joined the Marines, and then who knows what would have happened. She could see that it affected Arizona in a more emotional way, she was more guarded than she used to be, and both of them seemed to shy from large commitments and seemed to be lacking a certain sense of direction.

She could understand their hesitation in some respects. It's hard when you come across that shift in your life where your reality alters; your universe feels like it's crumbling but life around you continues without a hitch; you recover to find out that you see everything in a new light and it isn't always for the better. At this point in her life she had expected to be waiting at home to receive word from Daniel and Timothy, who would either be in training or deployed, Arizona would be well on her way to becoming a doctor, like she had always planned…holidays and special occasions would mean everyone coming home, not arranging to share the time between two families and have to divide their children's time like that. Of course there are step-families to fit into the equation as well, Barbara was hesitant at first, when Tim and Arizona didn't really seem to like her boyfriend, Albert's, family, but they still liked his family more than the step siblings on their father's side so she would count it as a small victory.

She could exhaust herself thinking about everything that has happened and led to where they are now. But nothing would change, fate would still have its way with them; life was life, it couldn't be anything else.