Chapter 11

Callie's head was spinning. She was in shock at the events that just unfolded in front of her. Arizona with blood all over her, Joanne and Arizona knew each other. Fangs and glowing eyes. Her father was something called a Lycan and Arizona had spoke to him 10 years ago in the airport. It was all too much for Callie and she felt herself being carried away from the bar. She slipped into unconsciousness at some point and awoke in an unfamilar bed. Was it all a dream again? She glanced around and saw the piercing blue eyes watching her carefully. A sudden calm and peaceful feeling washed over her.

"Arizona" she breathed out.

"Calliope, Are you ok? You passed out and I brought you back to my place. I know you must have a million questions but please let me explain before you jump to any conclusions." Arizona grabbed her hands and kissed them gently. Callie nodded and sat up a little further in the bed.

Being this close to Callie, Arizona had to take a steady breath. Her Calliope was about to learn her darkest secret and by the end of the night she will have either lost her forever or gained the trust and love of her soulmate.

"You have no idea how hard this is for me. How hard it has been, all these years, to stay away from you. Let me start at the begining. How old do you think I am?" Arizona asked

"Umm, 32 of course, I know when your birthday is Arizona, its December 7, 1978. It's not like I haven't celebrated that with you." Callie laughed.

Arizona grinned and continued, "What if I said that the year is wrong, that the year I was born was 1957. That December 7 1978 was the day I died?"

Callie looked at Arizona and the confusion set in. Arizona could see the calculations working in Callie's head and the realization take over at the last statement.

"So do you remember the first time we met? I asked you what you were afraid of? Vampires, wearwolves etc.? You said you were afraid of reality, well those things are real, and I am a vampire. Joanne met me in a club in 1978 and turned me into a vampire that night. She ended my mortal life and effectively starting my immortal life on that day, December 7, 1978."

Callie jumped off the bed and crossed the room. Fear spread throughout her body and she attempted to escape the room. Arizona wrapped her arms around her and she screamed, fighting to break free. After a few minutes of Arizona holding her Callie began sobbing and collapsed on the floor. Arizona stroked her hair and finally Callie looked up again.

"Calliope, I will never hurt you. I love you so much that I left you in that airport. I wanted to tell you about me. I was planning on doing it when we arrived at your parents house, but your father met in the airport while you were getting the luggage. How much do you know about you family Calliope?" Arizona now stood and paced back and forth.

"My father was born in Mexico and my mother in Florida. They have lived in Miami all of my life. Why do you ask this? And what is a Lycan? I heard Joanne say my father is one. This is all too much to believe."

Callie was shaking and Arizona sat down next to her pulling her into an embrace. She knew that Callie was about to learn things about herself and her family that may change the very core of who Callie was. Arizona debated on calling Carlos, but she knew that he would just further deny what Callie already was realizing.

"Calliope, Lycans are for all intensive purposes Wearwolves. They are natural enemies to the Vampire and vice versa. I do not know much about them other then the small encounters I've had and what Joanne has led me to believe. When we were going to visit your family, your dad informed me of his true self and he knew what I was. He told me if ever I were to bite you that you would immediately die, having Lycan blood in you. I could not do that to you Calliope. My life and what I am would have constantly put you in danger so I ran, I ran away so that you may live a long life. I never stopped loving you though and there wasn't a day that went by I didn't think of you. Seeing you at Joe's that night was such a bittersweet moment for me. My soulmate was there, in front of me and I had to push you away, keep you at a distance so that you would be safe."

Arizona by this time was sobbing and both women just held onto each other, taking in all that had happened. Neither moved for a long time, but it was Callie who finally stood up. She still wasn't sure about anything but she was positive about one thing, she was still in love with Arizona. As much as she was confused, frightened, and pissed off, she couldn't deny the love for the blonde. Callie helped Arizona stand and the women laid down in Arizona's bed and drifted off to sleep in each other's arms. Their own knowledge and questions would have to wait for the morning.

As dawn broke through the windows, a loud banging came throughout the apartment. Arizona immdiately leapt up and cautiously looked throught the peep hole to see Carlos Torres outside her door with Mark Sloan. She opened the door and Carlos began to speak.
"I thought I had warned you of the danger you posed to Calliope 10 years ago. Now here we are and she is in incredible danger all because of you, you filthy blood sucking whore!" Carlos ranted and attempted to push by Arizona. As Arizona was moving to block him Mark jumped forward and tackled Arizona to the ground, holding a stake above her. Mark was grinning as he spoke, "I have been waiting years to do this."

He pulled back as a screamed filled the room. Callie was running full force at Mark and she pushed him off of Arizona. Arizona scrambled backward into a defensive position, moving Callie behind her.

"Papa, Mark what the fuck do you think your doing?" Callie stepped between the two sides and pointed at her father.

"I'm sorry mija but you do not understand the things of this world. I have tried to protect you, to keep the horrible curse of our family a secret, but that disgusting creature couldn't leave you be. Just go now Calliope and I will take care of this problem and talk to you later about everything." Carlos reached for Callie but she pulled away.

"No Papa, YOU will tell me now what is going on. I know what Arizona is and that you sent her away all those years ago. YOU had no right, I love her and I'm not going to let you hurt her Papa. She would never hurt me and has protected me numerous times. And YOU Mark, how could you lie to me all these years? I expected better from both of you, so start explaining now Papa!."

Carlos deciding that it was time for his daughter to understand her family took a seat as Mark continued to stand ready for a fight. Arizona relaxed once Carlos gestured for the two women to sit down. Each women took a seat at the table as Carlos began his tale.

"Calliope your mother was very special. She wasn't like other humans, she had a genetic mutation to her blood that made her immune to a vampire attack. When I met your mother she was so beautiful, like you mija. I was smitten with her, even though I knew what I was, and how dangerous it was for her. See I am of an ancient clan Lycan, decendant of the wolf, otherwise known as wearwolves. We have been keeping our secret for hundreds of years. Usually we do not mate outside of the bloodline, but I disobeyed your grandfather and fell in love with your mother. One night while in Miami, we discovered your mother's special ability." Both Callie and Arizona listened intently to the older Torres recall the memory.

"Your mother was hunted one night. A pureblood vampire attacked her as she was walking home with a friend of mine. I had to leave early for a meeting and she was to meet me at home. The man was killed, his neck snapped quickly so the vampire could take her time and enjoy your mother. She tried to fight back, but she quickly overpowered her. The vampire discovered that after only one swallow she was sated of her bloodlust. She was 'full', and no longer felt the need to feed. She felt refreshed and strong, more so than after any other feeding where the victim was fully drained.

After only a little more than an hour, Maria had her full complement of blood back in her system. She had somehow remade what she'd lost within her own body.

The vampire let her go, and had her familiars watch her for the next few days, but she did not turn. She was immune to vampire infection. When she next felt the hunger she attempted to take her again, for she craved the exhilarating feeling her blood gave her, and the possibly your mother held.

This time she did not suceed, and I had attempted to kill her but she got away. I found out the vampire's name was Joanne. Maria was attractive for a human, and she had a fiery personality which the vampires found engaging. It was not uncommon for vampires to turn those whom they desired, but your mother could not be turned. Your mother became a prize, someone who the vampires wanted to test and see if her blood was able to be replicated. As a pureblood immortal, Joanne had been around for centuries, and knew what it was to find "the perfect human." Contrary to some conceptions concerning cold-hearted killers, vampires can love, though usually only their own kind because they regard humans as inferior. Pureblood vampires can have pureblood vampire children, but they need a human to carry the child. Your mother would be the perfect carrier, since she could regenerate the blood lost while the child grew."

Arizona stood to pace back and forth. Joanne had bitten Callie's mother. She knew the Torres's. She knew everything and she somehow she was linked to Callie. It made Arizona's head hurt. Callie grabbed her hand and looked at her, pleading for her to sit so her father would continue.

"I'm sorry Mr. Torres, this is a lot for me, please continue." Arizona asked Carlos. He nodded and conitnued.

"Only once before had a human woman given birth to something with vampire blood. The baby was not a vampire. She never grew fangs, never had the thirst, was never allergic to sunlight, garlic or silver. But nor was she completely human. She had her mother's trait of recovering quickly from bloodloss, even faster then the mothers. She'd been bitten once, and did not turn. She didn't regenerate quite as quickly as vampires, but she was still a fast healer. She could see well in the dark, and was strong, and agile, though she had trained herself to be like that during her childhood. She did have superior strength and speed to normal humans, and plenty of endurance, but she never made this obvious unless she had to fight, in which case there were no unwanted witnesses by the end."

Callie stood and walked to her father, wrapping her arms around him. It was too much for her to handle, and she needed his strength.

"My Calliope, your mother was killed because she was trying to protect you, you my darling are very, very special. You carry my Lycan blood, and your mother's special blood. You Calliope are the one being capable of combining the bloodlines with your offspring. If ever you were bitten by a vampire, you would within you contain the DNA of Lycans and Vampires. You could walk in the sun, and have immense strength. You would be immortal. You would be stronger then any Lycan or Vampire that ever lived and unable to be killed by anything. That kind of power is dangerous, which is why I attempted to hide the truth. I was only protecting you. I'm sorry Mija."

Callie was unable to hold back the tears that free flowed. Her whole life seemed to be one large conspiracy to hide the truth from her. Her family, Mark, Arizona, everyone had lied about everything. It was then that she turned towards the blonde who had taken to standing with her back against the wall, with a very puzzled look on her face.

Arizona looked at Callie, then to Carlos and began to speak. "Take her and go, I'll attempt to keep Joanne occupied here until she is safe. I know that Joanne would do anything to have a child with that amount of power. Leave at once."

Arizona turned and walked into her bedroom and slid to the floor. She knew that Callie needed to be protected at all costs and as much as her heart was breaking, she would keep Calliope safe.

Callie watched as the love of her life once again turned and walked away from her. Before she could protest Mark had picked Callie up and threw her over his shoulder. Screaming and kicking the entire way out of the apartment, she continued to yell, "Arizona I will always love you, and no one will ever keep me apart from you."