*Warning* Chapter

So many Calzona spoilers lately, I don't know what to believe. (Also VERY odd to have this many spoilers for them almost a month before season starts. Mark my word, something's up.) The news sites keep contradicting each other. One says Arizona finds comic relief in Callie moving on, the next one says jealousies and tensions arises between the two and can't be friends.! Articles have said Calzona's friendship will take on an entirely new level of maturity But, yesterday's article says they realize that being friends might not be the best route to take. I mean... Which is it? Can it be both?

We shall see in 20 days!

Anyway, back to the story!

***Warning*** Talks of abuse.


Chapter 11


They had been at Betty's bar for close to two hours as they all laughed and chatted about life. Callie was quickly falling into the group and Arizona couldn't be more grateful for her friends' hospitality towards the brunette. They had treated the new woman like she had been part of their family for years.

Derek, Mark and Addison had arrived soon after Cristina and Callie enjoyed their shots. To say they were shocked when they showed up and saw the brunette sitting at their table was an understatement. While Arizona, April and Teddy were all on the dance floor and Callie and Cristina were in their own world, Meredith gave the men a small snippet of the situation and told them she'd explain more later on. She didn't want to bring the light mood down at the moment because the brunette seemed like she was enjoying herself.

After a couple of dances, Arizona noticed that Betty had finally showed up at the bar so she finally pulled Callie away from the Korean enough to go meet the elder woman.

"Hey Nan," Arizona caught her attention as the woman walked up to the bar.

"Hey Arizona," The woman said reaching under the bar and grabbing something.

"You too?" She asked, seeing the woman set a card on the counter. "Nanny, you know how I feel about that."

"I know, you've told me every year for the past four years and yet I still do it, so open it and be grateful."

"I am," she chuckled. "Oh, this is Callie, she's the one I've been telling you about."

"I bet she is." Betty said, looking the woman up and down "Nice to finally meet you Callie, Arizona just keeps going on and on about you."

"She does?" Callie asked as Arizona opened the card from her grandmother.

"I do not, " Arizona blushed. "I was just telling her about how you were looking for a job."

"Well I'm glad to finally meet you. How about giving me a little bit so I can help them catch up in the kitchen and then I'll see what you can do."

"Okay, that's fine," Callie said, taking a seat beside the blonde.

"Damn right it is," Betty said, walking off into the kitchen.

"Umm..."

"Over look her." Arizona shook her head. "She has a tendency to be sarcastic, but doesn't mean it badly."

"Oh... Okay." She said, watching the blonde read her card. "What did you get?" She leaned over to look.

"Two tickets to watch the Seahawks play this fall." She said, holding them up for her to see.

"Football tickets?"

"Yeah," the blonde whispered.

"Why don't you like to celebrate your birthday, Arizona?" Callie asked propping her head up with her arm when she became quiet.

"If I tell you something very personal, you have to tell me something about yourself," she said as someone came and sat on the other side of her.

"I've told you a lot of things recently," she shot back. "What do you want to know?"

"I want to know the deal with your kids?" She turned toward her and leaned against the bar.

Callie could tell something was bothering the blonde, and she wanted her to feel she could talk about stuff with her also. "Okay, but you first."

"You're killing me, I really thought you'd say no," Arizona said, motioning for a beer. "I don't like my birthday," she exhaled.

"I see that, but why not?" She asked before taking a drink of her cocktail.

"About five years ago my brother left to go overseas and fight in the war," she said as Callie curiously listened. She didn't really talk about her brother much. The brunette heard her speak of him in passing a time or two, but didn't know anything. "And less than a year later..." She breathed, taking a pause. "My parents and I stood in an airplane hanger and watched them unload his body in a coffin, and all we got was a flag."

"I'm sorry," she said, placing her hand on the blonde's wrist.

"We had talked," she said, taking a long drink of her alcohol. "He wanted me to come out there with him on the frontline and work as a doctor when I finished school, but he died before I had the chance."

"Oh," she whispered, confused about the blondes statements. "Did he die on your birthday?"

"No," Arizona shook her head, looking forward at the different alcohol bottles on the shelf in front of them. "Today was his birthday too, he was my twin brother," she said, finally looking over at the Latina.

"Oh, Arizona," Callie whispered as the blonde tried to give her a sad smile. "I'm so sorry," she said, rubbing the blonde's back.

"Thanks, but its okay, I've already mourned him. Now I'm just trying to move on."

"What was his name?" She asked softly.

"Timothy," she said, picking at her label on the bottle.

"To Timothy," the brunette said, holding her glass in front of them as a few patrons looked over at them.

"To Timothy," Arizona couldn't help but crack a smile at the brunette when they clinked glasses before taking a drink in honor of his birthday. "Now you go," she said, placing the bottle on the small napkin on the bar.

"You were serious, huh?" Callie asked, sipping her alcoholic beverage from the little red straw.

"Yep."

"There's a lot to explain and the first part no one knows the truth except Mitch and my doctor." She said, as she twirled the plastic stick in her glass. "Remember I told you I dropped out my first year of college because we were expecting our first baby?"

"Yeah." Arizona rested her hand in her hand as she gave Callie her full attention.

"We used protection, but I still became pregnant and I felt sick all hours of the day. Some days I couldn't even leave the bathroom. So he thought it was in my best interest to drop out and just stay home to rest because I was missing a lot of classes. My parents were furious that I quit. They taught me that I had to work hard for what I wanted, and I would never have anything if I depended on him," she shrugged. "But I did it anyway."

"Is that why you don't talk to them anymore? They didn't approve of you dropping out of school."

"It's a lot more complicated than that," she got quiet.

"Oh," Arizona could tell that the brunette was fighting with herself to get it out. "You don't have to tell me if this is hard for you, but if you do, know that it won't go past me. You can trust me."

Nodding, Callie inhaled deeply before starting again. "So I listened to him and I quit, I dropped out. My parents didn't like that the fact I was pregnant out of wedlock, but they moved passed it," she said, taking another drink. "We'd been together four years at that point so we decided to get married, we went to the courthouse and sealed the deal. Boy did that upset my parents even more," she shook her head. "But again, they let it slide by eventually," she said as a tear formed in her eye. She missed her family so much. "I remember the day like it was yesterday," she zoned out. "We had been married for about a month and we were at the doctors office for my eighteen week exam. I was so excited that we were going to find out the gender of the baby, but I noticed his mind was far off. I asked him if he was nervous or having second thoughts, but he assured me he was fine. He said his finals were bogging him down, so I believed him. We found out we were having a little girl and we were through the roof with excitement. We went home and celebrated," she rolled her eyes. "I had woken up a little while later because his phone kept vibrating. I thought it was important, so I checked it," she paused and ran her fingers through her hair.

"It's okay." Arizona encouraged her to go on.

"It was several text messages from a woman named Nadia and she wanted to know why he missed their doctor's appointment." Callie quoted. "I scrolled on through and she said that." She sniffed as her emotions started taking control.

"It's okay Callie." Arizona caressed her leg. "You don't have to say anymore."

"She had her twenty week ultrasound and he was going to be a daddy to a baby girl and she couldn't wait to show him the pictures," she said as tears fell from her eyes.

"Oh god," she wasn't expecting that at all.

"Two weeks, Arizona. He got someone else pregnant two weeks before me."

"What did you do?" She gently asked.

"I threw the phone at him and started yelling. Demanded some type of explanation. I was furious. My blood pressure immediately sky rocketed, I just couldn't believe it. I thought we had a great relationship, you know. He had never given me a reason to suspect he wasn't faithful through out. He admitted to it and I was just so hurt that I told him I was going back home to my parents for a while but he wasn't having that. He told me I wasn't going anywhere, but I packed a suitcase anyway. I started walking out of our bedroom and he grabbed me and forcefully pulled me back in. I fought him off and slapped him. That's when he hit me for the first time," the brunette whispered, finally looking up at concerned blue eyes. "Maybe I asked..."

"No." Arizona stopped her from finishing her sentence. "Do not say you asked for it. I don't care what you did, no man should ever touch a woman. Don't ever think you asked for any of it."

"Yeah," she exhaled. "I was in complete shock. He had never been violent with me. He was grouchy at times, but what person isn't?" She slumped her shoulders. "But I was determined to leave especially after that. I started to wheel my suitcase out of the room and down the stairs, but he kicked the bottom of the case and it caused me to tumble forward and I fell down the steps and landed on it. Face down."

"Oh my god, Callie no." Arizona gasped.

"Yeah," she whispered. "I don't remember what happened after that. I just remember waking up in the hospital and the nurses told me I had lost my baby."

"What did you do? Did you have to have her?"

"Yeah. They induced me and I gave birth to her," she whispered sadly.

"Oh Callie, I'm so sorry. I couldn't imagine," Arizona said, seeing the hurt in the woman's eyes. "What did he do?"

"I didn't want him there, but he was there the whole time and was adamant he didn't do that. He said, 'I tripped'." She shook her head. "I didn't trip. He knew I had a tight grip on that case and if it got carried away with me, I'd fall right along with it. It wasn't until sometime later I finally realized it."

"Did you name her?"

"I named her Sara. They let us spend time with her, she was so beautiful, Arizona."

"I'm sure she was if she had an ounce of you in her. Sara is a beautiful name."

"Yeah." The Latina smiled sadly. "I had a checkup a few weeks after that and that's when my doctor told me that I couldn't get pregnant anymore."

"You can't have kids after your miscarriage?"

"No," she whispered. For the first time the truth was about to spill from her mouth. "Nina, Emilio and Felipe are not mine. Nina is Nadia's. She's one of the nannies."

"And the other nannies?"

"The other is Emilio and Felipe's mom. Alma."

"And they're his kids?"

"Yep. No one's the wiser outside of the household," she took a drink of her cocktail. "He cheated on me many times and let people believe Nina was mine when she was born and he did the same when the other two were born."

"And you let him?" Arizona asked, angrily. She wasn't upset at Callie, but at Mitch. How can he be so low to do that to anyone much less someone like her. "Are you not close with the kids?" She asked after receiving a nod.

"No," Callie shamefully admitted. "They call me, her," she whispered.

"Wow," she couldn't believe her ears. "Has anyone outside the house ever met the kids? Your parents? Anyone?"

"Yeah, my parents met Nina when she was a baby, but not the other two. I had quit talking to them before they were born."

"When they're around other people, do they call you mom?" Arizona questioned.

"No, their moms are always around, so no one questions it. Kids who have nannies usually take to them over their parents anyway, so no one questions it."

"I'm pretty sure Nina thinks I'm the help or something," the brunette shrugged. "I don't know."

"You don't play with them or anything?"

"I wanted too, but the only time I was allowed to hold Nina was when my parents visited when she was around a month old. It was only because Mitch handed her to me so I could hand her off to my parents." She remembered back. "All I could think of is it should have been my baby I was handing to them to meet." She sniffed.

"Oh, Calle..." Arizona couldn't help but try to sooth the woman. "And the supposed nannies? They were okay with that?" The doctor asked. As long as Callie was willing to talk and answer questions, she was going to ask.

"Oh, Nadia shot daggers at me," the Latina admitted. "It was hard to have them live there, much less act like I'm doing something wrong in my own house. They acted like I was the one he was cheating with," she shook her head sadly.

"Why did Mitch keep you around then? I don't understand."

"I don't either to be honest," She twitched her shoulders, before slumping. "The other two women aren't anything to look at. I'm not saying that I'm gorgeous or anything, but I'm a lot prettier then they are. I think he kept me around for work. To look good on his arm when he needed it."

"Oh."

"What the hell was I thinking, Arizona. He ruined me," she whispered.

"Oh Callie, honey, you're not ruined," Arizona couldn't help but feel sorrowful for the woman. "How did you put up with that?" She asked, rubbing her back. Shaking her head when she realized what she was doing. "Sorry. I'm asking too many questions now."

"It's okay. I'm ashamed to admit it, but he has a way of getting into my head, Arizona, and I loved him so much. So, I went with anything he said. I wanted so badly to forgive him, and after a while, I did. I know I was naive, and I know I was blind, but I tried really hard to love Nina as my own, but they wouldn't let me. Three years later, the boys were born. That's when he started hitting me again, because something inside me had changed. I finally started to speak my mind because I finally began to realize I deserved better than a man who would constantly get other women pregnant and force me to pretend to be their mother. Even my parents think the kids are mine. I lied to them for so long. I just don't even know if I can face them and tell them the truth now."

"Jesus," no wonder the woman wasn't forthcoming with much information. It pained her heart to think anyone could hurt or mistreat her in such a callous way. "I just don't even know what to say, Callie."

"I don't either. I can't believe I let him run my life like that."

"Did you always want babies?" She looked into sad brown eyes after she asked.

"Yeah, I did." Callie confessed. "But, I've coped. It's like you said. It took a while, I've grieved and finally have overcome that harsh reality."

"I'm so sorry he took that away from you, Callie."

"Me too," she breathed. "Do you want kids?" She asked, wanting to take the subject off her for a while. She had told the blonde one of her darkest secrets and she really wasn't up for talking about her problems anymore tonight.

"I did when I was younger. I've been leaning against it since my brother died. I don't want to have kids and then lose one like my parents did. I don't think I could handle that. Not after seeing them grieve, I don't think I could go through it."

"Understandable," Callie sighed before they became silent. "Well enough with the sad and depressing stuff for now. This is supposed to be a fun night," she said after they sat there quietly for a few minutes. "What will Betty have me doing?" She asked when she saw the older woman reappearing from behind the kitchen door.

"Nothin' much. I've already warned her to take it easy on you. You'll maybe make a few drinks, but don't make them too strong. She'll make you drink them," she warned her.

"I'm feeling pretty good now, so I don't think I can handle much more."

"Oh no, Nanny doesn't take kindly to lightweights," Arizona said, finishing her drink.

"I've had five shots and two glasses."

"Yeah, but we've been here for a while now. You should have had five more shots by now," she giggled. "We go hard."

"You've only had what? Four beers?"

"And three shots," Arizona corrected. "I'm also thinking about having you make me a mixed drink. I wanna see how good you really are," she said, seeing the older woman walk towards them. "It's go time," she nudged her.

"Ooo, mixing alcohol. You know that's not the smartest thing to do right?"

"I can handle myself."


April and Teddy had been watching their friend from the table for a while and she couldn't help how comfortable both women were with each other. The two watched for a few minutes as the new woman went behind the counter with Betty and tried out a few drinks.

They wanted to talk to the blonde, but they knew she'd get defensive and tell them to mind their own business if they both surrounded her.

"Riz," April took it upon herself to talk to the blonde.

"Hey, Apes."

"What the hell did you do?" She whispered as the blonde watched her Nanny give Callie the rundown of the place.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play coy with me, Arizona. Please god, tell me she isn't staying with you?" She said as the blonde stayed silent. "Seriously, Riz? You're asking for major trouble. What the hell are you thinking?"

"I am not asking for trouble. Callie was a friend of mine and she needed help, so I am letting her stay with me. What's the big deal?" She whispered back.

"She wasn't your friend."

"She is now."

"By choice? You took a complete stranger home."

"I couldn't leave her on the sidewalk in the pouring rain," Arizona bit back. "Besides, we're supposed to forget about that night. Remember?"

"You're asking for trouble. What if her husband finds her? If he's as bad as she says what if he tracks her cell phone or something?"

"She didn't have one. I bought her a cell phone, he doesn't know the number."

"Riz," April said, exasperated. "Are you listening to yourself?" She said more quietly now as Callie and Betty were closer to the bar.

"No, right now I'm listening to an annoying redhead."

Rolling her eyes. "Arizona. What if he's looking for her? What if he finds her? Do you think he'll just pat you on the back say thanks for keeping my wife safe for a while?"

"She told him today she's filing for divorce."

"Oh my god, stop." April ran her hands through her hair and took a deep breath. "Listen, okay? I'm worried. For you, and for her. But you're stepping into the middle of a terrible marriage..."

"April, I'm not. Callie needed a friend and I stepped up. She left her marriage before she came into the ER. I'm not stepping in the middle of anything. All I am doing is being a friend that gives her a safe place to sleep at night. I'm trying to help her get on her feet so she can live again. She needs people Apes. She has no one."

"But you heard what she said," she sat down on the stool beside the blonde. "Her husband sounds dangerous. And if he is the way she says, what's going to stop him from hurting you if he finds her?"

"He won't," Arizona said taking a drink of the cocktail Callie had made her. She had to admit, it was pretty good for her first drink.

"But what if?"

"I don't know," she breathed. "But what else am I suppose to do April? Kick her out, give her no other option but to go crawling back to her abusive husband? She has no body, but me, Apes." She said as she watched the brunette make a few more drink orders and give service with a smile. "I didn't plan it, but Callie has become one of my best friends. I look forward to going home after work just to hang out around the place with her."

"So that's it? The reason you've been canceling is because you enjoy spending time with her?" The redhead questioned, unsure of the blondes motives.

"Yeah, and because I've found out that it's nice to come home after work and just relax instead of going out every night. Do you know how rested I feel when I go into work?"

April didn't reply, she just watched the blonde keep her attention on the woman working behind the counter until it really clicked with her. "Oh my god," she slapped her friend on the back of the head when she realized it.

"What the hell, April?" She yelped out as Callie and her Nan disappeared behind the kitchen door.

"Tell me you don't?"

"Don't what?" She asked, rubbing her head.

"Oh my god. You obviously do. I can't believe I didn't see this?" She said as she went to hit the woman again.

"Don't you dare," Arizona said grabbing her wrist. "What can't you believe you didn't see?"

"You and Callie," she whispered, looking around the bar to see if anyone was listening.

"What?" She couldn't believe her ears.

"You have feelings for her."

"Wha... that's," she shook her head. "I do not."

"You do. You've been here for a while now and you've yet to notice one woman besides her," April looked around the large room at all the women dancing. "There is some cute ones too," she pointed.

"I don't," Arizona kept facing forward, not paying attention to anyone else around her.

"You're telling me you don't find her attractive?"

"Of course she is," she conceded.

"But?" April could tell there was something more.

"No buts," Arizona denied.

"But I feel there is a huge one." She pressed her.

"She's beautiful. But all we'll ever be is friends. In case you've not heard, she's married... to a man."

"That doesn't mean anything and you know it."

"She's not gay, okay? Do you think I wouldn't love to have a chance with her? When I met her at the resort a few months ago, I wanted her, but she was married. She's hot and I think she has a heart like gold," she softly whispered. "But she's not gay. I've not looked at her that way since that day. She's only my friend. I'm not going to throw myself at her and scare her off," she shrugged. "There's nothing more, so stop trying to convince me there is."

"Alright," Kepner backed off. "I'll gladly accept her in our group of friends, but please, Riz. Keep a clear head because he could turn up, and it could be really bad."

"I know." She whispered, finishing her glass. "Thanks, April." The blonde said, hugging her friend.

"You're welcome. I'm going to get back to the table," the redhead said when she saw the brunette emerge from the kitchen.


"Hey," Callie smiled as she walked up to Arizona and placed a couple plates on the bar.

"Hey," she said, looking at the food. "What's this?"

"I know you said you didn't like to celebrate, but I can't not do anything. So this is your birthday dinner," she shrugged as she quickly made two more drinks and went to set beside the blonde.

"You shouldn't have done this," Arizona said, looking at the food. "And don't you think we've had enough to drink?"

"Well for one, Betty made me cook something and she told me that you love her chicken quesadilla's so I made us one and also jalapeƱo poppers, because well, I love them," she giggled. "I hope you like them, if not I'll just eat them all," she continued. "And two, I don't think we've had enough alcohol."

"I do." She laughed. "How many drinks did she make you test?" She questioned the tipsy brunette.

"Three."

"Oh dear lord," Arizona laughed.


"Hey, Kepner." Teddy said, after everyone at the table went off to the dance floor. "What did she say?"

Shaking her head. "I don't know..." She said still not believing her friend. "She said they were just friends and they could never be anything more."

"Why not?"

"She said that Callie was married and straight."

"Arizona has taken a straight girl home before." Teddy said, watching her friend talk and laugh with the brunette as they ate dinner at the bar.

"Well she says it's never going to happen with Callie. Not that she's opposed to it, but she doesn't want to scare her away. She would rather just have her as a friend."

"That's understandable. I could tell when she and I met that she wanted me, but I put her in her place really quick. Not that I blame her though. I'm a catch." She said, flipping her hair.

"Get over yourself, Altman. If you were a catch you wouldn't be trolling on the Internet for your next boyfriend," April laughed.

"Shut up," Teddy threw her peanuts at her. "Arizona, and Callie for that matter, can say whatever they want, I just wonder how long it's going to take for them to realize what's going on between them. Any idiot can see it."

"Yeah," April turned and saw the two giggling as they are their dinner.


"Do people tend to judge you?" Callie asked, as she finished her food. They had been talking about random things through dinner and somehow they ended up on Arizona's sexuality.

"I've got it a few times, but it comes with the territory I guess," she shrugged. "I don't take it to heart like I used too. No matter what you do or who you're with, someone will always find faults with you no matter what."

"It's sad."

"It really is, but you can't help who you're attracted to," she said. "I remember the first time someone really went out of their way and made fun of me."

"Made fun of you?" Callie questioned.

"Oh yeah. I didn't really let my sexual status be known in high school, and not at first in college. I was in a dorm room making out with this hot chick. We didn't realize the door was open, and a group of guys walked by, and just so happened this one guy who had been pursing me was one of them. He had asked me out a few times prior, but I kept declining." She breathed. "The following Monday on the way to classes people kept staring. I didn't know what was going on, but then I ran into Kelly and she was crying and upset. She had told me that Todd had snapped a picture of us making out and had plastered flyers randomly around campus with words such as dykes and carpet munchers written over the flyers."

"Wow," Callie said in disgust.

"Yeah, she and I both were so upset. She broke all ties with me that day." She remembered back. "I went and took down every flyer I found," she shook her head.

"Did you confront him?"

"No. I felt that if I did, he would continue, so I decided to get even instead."

"What did you do?"

"You really want to know?" Arizona questioned.

"Yeah?"

Taking a long drink of her cocktail, she looked around the crowded room before she spoke. "I slept with his sister." She giggled. The alcohol was taking effect on the both.

"You did not?" Callie threw her head back, laughing. She hadn't enjoyed a day like today in a very long time and she couldn't wait to have more in the near future.

"I did," she snickered.

"You know what?" The brunette slurred.

"What?" The blonde did the same.

"This was fun, I missed fun," she sighed and laid her head on the doctors shoulder. "I'm sleepy... and I think I'm drunk," she mumbled with a yawn.

"Me too," Arizona giggled, but she didn't know why. "I think I should call it a night," she leaned her head against Callie's. "I think I could pass out for the rest of the night right now."

"Me too," Callie whispered. "Happy Birthday."

"Thank you, Callie."


Thanks for reading. More things are coming...