Chapter 4

Previously: "I can't live like this anymore," She whispered, feeling the rain drench her body as she looked up to the blonde before tears mixed in with the rain on her cheeks.

Arizona stood frozen in her spot for several seconds as the rain soaked through her clothes to her skin. Looking around, she saw a few people rushing into the hospital to get out of the pouring rain across the street from where she just came, other than that, the street looked abandoned on this late stormy night. "I..." She was at a loss for words. This was the last thing she expected her to say. "I'm trying to help, but you keep refusing me," she looked down at the distraught Latina as rain dripped off both of their noses. "You deserve someone who loves you and respects you. Your life is not supposed to be like this, Callie," she sat down beside the woman, forgetting all about the thunderstorm that hovered over top of them. "Will you let me help you? I can find you a place to stay." She said, softly.

"If I go to a safe house or something, he will find me," Callie said, looking down at the little bump in her shirt that kept moving. "I know he will,"

When Callie left the hospital, she had no idea what to do. She thought she should go back home. She hoped Mitch would be over his little spill by now, but she also knew this could finally be her out. The brunette had had enough. She was at the point that she was willing to risk everything she had to get away from the hell she was living in. She had money, clothes, expensive items, but none of those things mattered the least bit if she was unhappy, and that was exactly what she was; fed up and unhappy.

At the beginning of her marriage she would say that she was a strong, powerful woman, but after more than a year of getting beaten down verbally and sometimes physically, she felt just the exact opposite. She tried to recollect where everything went wrong in her marriage, but for the life of her, she couldn't think of anything. Mitch had been a very loving husband for the first year or two, but the higher he climbed in his career, the more he would turn sour toward her.

But finally, after today, this was her out. She wanted this more than anything, but yet she couldn't help but hesitate. Just as soon as she felt strong enough to walk away, a thought would pop into her head. She had absolutely no one outside of her relationship with her husband. Where would she go? How would she survive? She couldn't just run back to her childhood home. There was no way her parents would welcome her with open arms. She wouldn't if they were her.

"He won't," Arizona placed her hand on the brunette's shoulder and softly caressed her back.

Callie slightly jerked at the feel of the woman's hand. She couldn't help but be jumpy at the moment. "He will," she mumbled, looking down at the bump underneath her scrub top. She had found a little puppy out by the bench when she left the hospital. It kind of reminded her of herself, so she couldn't help but care for it. "He'll find me. He did before," she nodded as her body started trembling from the cold rain. "I won't go back. I won't," she shook her head and looked over to the blonde who was rubbing her back. "But, I'm scared of what he may do. I'm scared, Arizona. I can't go back, I can't live a lie anymore. I'm done," she said, defeated.

Taking a deep breath, Arizona didn't know what to do. She was at a total loss of how to help this woman because she refused to go anywhere she offered. Feeling the chill bumps prick her skin, she knew Callie had to be freezing, as well. "Come on," she stood up and pulled the woman up by her arm.

"What?" She asked, taking the dog out from under her shirt before she dropped him.

"Come on, we can't sit in the rain like this," she said as a loud clap of thunder rang out over the sky. "One or both of us is going to catch a cold," she said, dropping the woman's arm and walking a few steps before turning to see the brunette still standing in her spot. "Come on," she waited for her to follow. "Listen," she sighed. "He could be driving by as we speak," she said the words, and as soon as she did, she regretted them. The last thing she wanted to do was scare her more. "I know you don't know me well, and I, you, but trust me. Okay?" She asked a little loud so the Latina could hear her over the rain.

Not saying a word, Callie slowly walked closer to the blonde as the woman turned and continued her way to her apartment complex.

Arizona knew this could get her into hot water with Mitch if he were to find out, but she couldn't leave this broken woman out here in the rain with no place to go. "Damn it," she cursed to herself under her breath. Why did she feel the need to help this woman so much? She had dealt with this more than once, but she had never felt so invested with anyone before.

Callie followed the woman across the street. She couldn't believe she was trusting the blonde, but on the other hand, right now, Arizona was the only hope she had. It scared her a little that she was asking for help, but there was something about the woman that screamed trustworthy to her. "Where are we going?" She whispered, following the woman into an old brick building.

The Latina's voice was at such a low whisper, Arizona almost missed it as she walked into the lower level of her building. "This is where I live." She said, shutting the door behind them and locking it.

"You live here?" She looked around at the large open space.

"No judging." Arizona looked around the room where fire trucks were once housed. She usually didn't enter this side of the building, but with the pouring rain and lighting, she made a detour across the empty bottom level. She loved that she was the only one living in the whole building.

"I'm not," Callie followed her to a door on the right side of the opened space. She had no clue what she was doing, but right now she needed guidance and she would take it any way she could get it. "It's just..." she followed her up the steps. "A fire station?"

"An awesome fire station," Arizona said, walking up into her apartment loft and finding the light.

Callie looked around at the opened space. It wasn't something she expected the blonde to live in. It was plain, with brick walls, a small kitchen in the far right corner of the room. Slightly to the left of the steps was what she would consider the family room with a plain cream couch and a TV. Walking further into the area, she noticed a small bed behind her and what she assumed would be the bathroom.

"I'm gonna go change out of these wet clothes and find you something to put on." Arizona threw her keys on the small table next to the couch. "You are drenched."

"I'm fine," Callie protested. "Can I have a towel or something to dry him off?" She asked, not moving any further into the room.

"Him? What?" Arizona turned around to the woman and saw the puppy in her arms for the first time. "What's that?"

"It's a dog."

"No, no," she's shook her head as she began to wonder what she had just gotten herself into. "No animals." She held up her hands in protest.

"But, he's all I have," the brunette pouted even more.

"You just told me you had nothing. Nothing doesn't mean you have a dog," she hated animals and she wasn't one to take a complete stranger into her home, much less an animal.

"I just found him. He was under the bench on the street trying to stay out of the rain. He was scared and whimpering. I couldn't turn him away. He's like me. He has no one," she said, looking down at the small animal. "I can't do that to him." She whispered.

"No, Callie. It could be some poor kids lost puppy," she said, taking off her jacket and throwing it across the banister of the stairway into her home.

"Well, next time they'll learn to keep an eye on it," she said, still looking down at the animal before she focused back on the woman before her. "Come on, Riz."

"I told you, call me Arizona. My jackass friends call me Riz to be annoying. They have a tendency to act like they're still in high school." She said as Callie finally took a couple steps further into the room.

"You said you wanted to be my friend. Back at the hotel room at the winery, you said you were an awesome friend."

"I did," she said, walking to the bathroom.

Quickly changing into her pajamas, she sighed when she realized she wasn't going to get her long bath after all. Going to her small closet by the bathroom, she searched for the woman some clothes to put on. After a minute of searching for something clean, Arizona was cursing herself for putting off laundry day. "Ah-ha," she said, pulling out her old gray 'My Brother Wears Combat Boots' t-shirt and sniffing it to make sure it smelled half decent. Grabbing an old pair of shorts from the top shelf, she quickly shut the closet and grabbed two towels.

"Here you go," she said, handing Callie a towel and dry clothes.

"I'm fine," she shook her head.

"You're not. You're soaking wet," she said, putting the clothes over her good shoulder. "Give me this wet rat," she rolled her eyes and took the dog from the woman. She couldn't believe she was doing this. "You're my friend now, so you're staying here with me until we can figure out what to do. I'm off for the next seventy-two hours, so we'll just lay low." She said, wrapping the animal up in the towel and gently drying him off.

"I can't," Callie shook her head. "I can't impose like that. The last thing I need to do is burden someone else with my problems. I can't turn your life upside down with that."

"You're a month too late. I've worried about you since the day we met. There's something about you, or maybe it's just the situation of Mitch helping my friends," she shrugged. "But I have worried. More so when I heard Mitch accepted their offer. And then you show up out of nowhere tonight," she said, looking at her. "Worse for ware. I want to help you, Callie. If you'll just let me. We'll get you out of that mess, and I'll help you start a new life."

"But what if he finds out you helped? I couldn't stand it if he did something to you because of me." She said, standing in the middle of the blondes loft.

"I was raised a marine's daughter, I'm tougher than I look."

"Arizona..." she just didn't know if she could risk the one person who was out to help her.

"Nope," she shook her head, not allowing Callie to make excuses. "This is how it's going to work," she turned her towards the bathroom. "Get your ass in there and get out of those wet clothes," she said as she received a glare from the brunette. "We're friends now, so that look won't work with me. Get in there and change. Templeton is waiting," she said, holding up the dog.

"Templeton?"

"Yes. He looks like a wet rat and look at that huge belly," she said, patting the dog's stomach. "I'm not a dog person, so I suggest you hurry." She warned.

"His name isn't Templeton." The brunette turned and went into the room the blonde directed her to. "It's Poseidon."

"Poseidon?" She turned the dog around and looked at him. "I'm sorry, guy, but if she calls you Poseidon, I will call you Poussey."

"You will not," Callie yelled through the room when she heard the woman talking to the dog. She was having a rough time changing out of her shirt with her sore shoulder. "His name is Poseidon."

"You shouldn't really name him, you'll get attached. I've already told you, he can't stay."

Callie heard the blonde from the bathroom as she hung up her wet clothes in the small shower stall. She was feeling a little shy because she was wearing a complete stranger's clothes. Berating herself for not grabbing a few things before leaving her house, she walked back out of the room to where Arizona stood. "If he goes, I go," she said, thankful that her arm and wet sling were covering her chest as she walked closer to her. She felt very self conscience because her bra and underwear were just as soaked as her other clothes.

"Why are you doing this to me," she whined, handing the dog back. She was finding it hard to tell this woman no.

"He just needs someone to love him," she said, taking the dog into her arms, trying to warm him. She wasn't sure if she was talking about the dog or herself, at this point.

"I know." Arizona sighed. "Okay, we'll give him a try, but he's not allowed on the bed or in the kitchen. There's a small fenced in yard behind the building. You better potty train him, or he's gone."

"You'll won't even know we're here."

"Listen, you are more than welcome here, I don't want you to feel like you're intruding because, you're not."

"You..." She looked around. "You don't have a boyfriend that's going to come home in the middle of the night and give me a heart attack do you?"

"Umm..." she scoffed. She wasn't sure if she should tell Callie she was gay or not. "No, you don't have to worry about any guys being here."

If she told her she was into women, would that scare her and make her feel uncomfortable? That was the last thing she wanted to do right now.

"Okay."

"Are you hungry or anything?" She scratched her head, not knowing if the woman just wanted to rest or was willing to talk about tonight.

"No," she shook her head and put the dog down on the floor. "I can't eat right now. I'm nauseous as it is."

"Okay... Umm..." She looked around feeling shy in her own place.

"I'm curious, though," Callie looked around the room. "Where do you eat dinner?" All she saw was a small kitchen with a single counter top, a couch and end tables, and a bed.

"Sometimes I'll sit on the bay window over there. I like to watch the rain come down after a long day of work." Arizona pointed to the other side of the room. "But most of the time I just plop down on the couch and scarf my face while I watch terrible reality TV."

"Oh," she nodded, trying to imagine eating like that. When she was growing up her family always hand dinner at six o'clock and were always seated in the dining room. She couldn't think of a time besides the half of a year she spent in college that she ate anywhere she pleased.

"So... Umm... It's after midnight, and I know you have to be tired."

"Yeah," Callie lied. There was no way she could fall asleep without nightmares of Mitch finding her, but she knew the blonde had to be exhausted after coming off her long shift.

"I only have a full size bed, but you're more than welcome to sleep in it," she said as Callie looked over to her bed on the corner of the open room. "I know this is probably not what you're used to, but it's all I have." She shrugged.

"It's fine, Arizona. I really appreciate what you're doing for me. I just hope one day I can repay you."

"Nonsense. This is what friends do. Right?"

"Right," she agreed. "I think I'll just stick to the couch, if you don't mind? I don't want to impose on your bed." She said, walking up to the sofa.

"I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't okay with it, but if you're more comfortable on the couch, that's fine, too. I'll make it up for you."

"You don't have to do that, I can do it."

"Callie, this is my house, okay? Let me take care of my guest," she laughed, thankful Callie seemed to be a little more cheerful than she was when she found her on the street.

"I'm sorry, I'm just used to it, I guess."

"Well, get un-used to it. You have an injured shoulder, if you don't recall," she said, patting the Latina on the shoulder to remind her.

"Owwww...I remember now. Thanks for the reminder."

"Sorry, but I couldn't resist," she said, going to her closet to grab a sheet to put on the couch and grabbing an extra blanket and pillow for the woman.

"Hey, do you think it'll be okay to take this sling off? It's really chaffing my neck, plus it's still wet."

"Yeah, but be careful, no sudden movements with that arm."

"Got it." She said, pulling at the Velcro strap and slowing releasing her run from the device.

"Arizona?" She asked after sitting it aside.

"Yeah?"

"I hate to ask you this seeing as you're already sticking your neck out for me, but do you have anything I can feed the dog? I bet he's starving."

"I'm not sure. Give me just a minute, and I'll check." She said, pulling some sheets from the closet.

"Just guide me in the direction, and I can look." The brunette turned and looked to the kitchen.

"Callie I told you, you're the guest."

"No, I want to help. I have nothing to give right now, so let me help."

"Top shelf above the stove. There should be a packet of tuna. I can run to the store, tomorrow, and buy him some dog food."

"Thank you, Arizona. I will pay you back one day." She smiled sadly at the woman as she wondered how in the hell she got here tonight. When she woke up this morning she had no clue by the end of the night she would have absolutely nothing to her name except a dog and a new friend.

"You really don't have to, Callie. I want to do this," she said as she made the Latina a bed on the couch. "So, I'll keep the bathroom light on in case you wake up and need to see." Arizona said as she watched the woman open a packet of food and feed it to the dog. "I know how it is sleeping in a strange place," she shrugged. "There's water, soda, and a couple beers in the fridge. You are more than welcome to anything you find. And your bed's all ready," she said, throwing the pillow on the arm of the made up couch.

"I really do appreciate this."

"It's nothing, really," She waved her off. "If it's not comfy, you're more than welcome to the bed."

"No this is fine, really. Thank you."

"You're welcome," she gave her a sad smile. "I'm going to take a quick shower and hop in the bed." She half smiled.

"Okay, goodnight."

"Night."

I'll be posting pictures on Twitter throughout the journey, just like I did with The River. First up, a pick of Poseidon, AKA 'Poussey' the puppy.