AN: Thank you so much for your continued reviews, messages and alerts – I enjoy reading them and am thrilled you're still enjoying this slowly progressing fic! :-) I do still hope that you're not getting bored!

On with the next part.


Part 11

"Oh my God…" Arizona dropped her tan coloured handbag to the floor, eyes wide as they darted around the corners of the room. She was only a few steps inside the front door and belongings were scattered around her feet – paperwork from the kitchen bench, dish drying rack, cordless phone, clothing and shoes. Furniture, although not overturned, were completely out of place and askew, cushions in various directions.

"Yeah," Mark said, nodding his agreement. "The police had a look through but recommended we leave it as is before you could see if anything is missing. Callie's isn't much better."

"I'm going to find her and quite genuinely kill her." Callie stood, hands on her hips and shaking her head, teeth clenched. Arizona stole a glance at her before stepping forward and over a box of shoes that had been overturned, a package for goodwill that she hadn't quite got around to carrying to her car.

Mark stepped forward and caught Arizona's elbow. "There's glass, just be a bit careful. Teddy swept it in to a pile in the kitchen and the same in your bathroom." She nodded in response, almost as if in a daze, blinking quickly. "Do you think there's anything she would have looked for, taken?" he asked. "We had no idea."

Arizona shrugged. "I don't know, maybe. I can't really think, there's nothing here of hers really."

"She's crazy, what does she think you would still have some freakin' homage to her?" Callie spat at, voice venomous. "These are our homes, how dare she?"

"At least no one was hurt," Mark interrupted Callie's momentum gathering tirade. "That's good, isn't it?" he prompted and she gave him a disgusted glance in response. "Easy hey," Mark added, watching Arizona slip out of his easy hold and pad carefully towards her bedroom.

Callie turned toward him and continued to angrily shake her head. Perhaps her tolerance and patience had been exhausted, and the very thought of having to deal with their destructed properties in a rational manner was nauseating. "Fuck her," she cursed, fists clenched. "She's going to fucking rot in hell by the time I'm finished with her sorry arse. Don't stand there and expect me to not give a toss about this."

"Not what I'm asking, at all. Let's get that straight, if I had my choice this little bitch would have had her lights punched out by now. But we said we'd support Arizona and we will. Without making things even more difficult for her."

"How does it help her if we don't care about all this? What message does that send? That we don't care, that this stuff doesn't matter?" Callie forced her voice into a hushed tone, barely whispering but still low enough that her fury wasn't carrying through the apartment. "This is not alright." Callie raked her fingers through her hair, pulling strands of thick dark hair loose so that they fell to her face and left messy tracks towards her ponytail.

"You want to take your anger out; you take it out on me, Callie. You want to punch something, you punch me or a wall. You need to tone it back."

"I'm not going to punch someone," Callie spat back, face flushing red with anger. "What, you think I'm going to hit her? Piss off Mark, get out. You can just piss off."

Stepping back, hands entwined behind her head, she stumbled slightly and stared directly at Mark. Eyes unblinking and nostrils flaring as she continued to intermittently shake her head. She was vaguely aware of seconds passing, Mark observing her quietly with some awareness of Arizona reappearing by the door and watching the scene play out before her. "I didn't say that," he eventually murmured, voice deep though non-accusatory and somewhat soft.

"You may as well have," Callie tossed back without hesitation, as if ready and armed for his every feeble excuse.

"You're taking your frustration out on me, put it where it's meant to be, Call."

"Screw you."

"Everything okay?" Arizona asked calmly, blue eyes glazed but jumping between Mark and Callie, trying to decipher the bits and pieces she had heard and the non-verbal body language that emanated from them both.

"Fine," Callie muttered and Mark audibly sighed, rolling his shoulders and stepping back towards the door. He hesitated, leaning against the frame.

"Calliope," Arizona murmured, hand gliding along the kitchen bench, steadying herself as she stepped towards them.

Callie sucked in her bottom lip and chewed harshly on the skin, tearing a loose flake away from the tender flesh. "Don't do that," she whispered after a moment, the rusty taste of a few specks of blood invading her senses.

"Don't do what?" Arizona asked, forehead creasing in confusion.

"Call me Calliope."

Arizona laughed lightly and she observed Callie to visibly relax, shoulders slumping from their squared and tense position. "I don't think I'm going to stop now."

Mark coughed away a sly smile and they both turned in expectation towards him. "Sorry," he muttered. "But pity help if anyone else used your full name."

Arizona rolled her eyes and drew in a slow and even breath; though her exterior was calm, her pulse was still racing. "It's okay Call, this is just stuff. It's fine."

Callie scuffed her feet and scowled. "I'm angry at her," she stated, though her actions clearly communicated the obviousness of her words.

"I know," Arizona said, nodding her agreement. "But we knew there would be repercussions. Mark's right, no one is hurt."

"Nothing's missing?"

"A few photos, nothing major."

Callie brought her eyes to meet Arizona's, piteously glancing at each other. Arizona nodded her acknowledgement; photos of Callie and her. The ones that used to sit on Arizona's bedside table and next to the small vase that used to hold fresh flowers when Arizona had a chance to get to the farmers markets. That was back when they used to spread themselves more equitably between the two apartments, but these days Arizona's was more of a storage space then something they actually resided in.

"It's okay. We should go check yours and then organise somewhere to stay."

"Oh," Mark sprung slightly into action. "I forgot to tell you that I booked a hotel for a week, figured you would be keen for somewhere else. At least until it's all cleaned up and see if she's charged and all that."

"Thank you," Arizona accepted, smiling and nodding in appreciation; Callie mimicked her expression, conceding her misplaced rage.

Mark shook his head. "No big deal. I've actually booked under another name, did a bit of creative work and you're all checked in. Room cards are…somewhere," he murmured, patting his various pockets.

"Creative work?" Callie prompted, finally exhaling a long sigh and moving her legs slightly, releasing her tense muscles.

Mark gave a sheepish look. "A little yeah. Figured we couldn't book under your names or even me or Teddy. Called in a bit of a favour from Addison actually, although I think she's wondering who or what the hell I'm up to."

"Oh, I haven't seen Addie in forever," Callie said softly at the mention of her name. "I miss her."

'Mmmm," Mark agreed, "she's coming out soon actually, for a visit. Something about a conference nearby."

Arizona smiled at Callie's slowly calming state and picking up her handbag, she stepped back and slipped her hand into Callie's, fingers wrapping around the back of Callie's palm. "Thanks Mark," she said, though she had to admit to feeling somewhat surprised and humbled at his careful forethought. "I'll sort you the cash, transfer it."

Feeling a rush of embarrassment, Mark shook his head strongly. "Don't be crazy, it's the least I can do. We were meant to keep things nice and cruisy, calling you back early from your break wasn't really the plan."

"This is her thing," Arizona said softly. "She was never just going to just lie down and take it. I expected more maybe or I don't know, that there will be more."

"Yeah," Mark mumbled, "you weren't kidding."

Arizona shrugged, kidding she certainly hadn't been. It had taken a lot for them to understand, to comprehend what Emily was capable of. And she finally felt like they were, slowly, beginning to realise.

Callie squeezed Arizona's fingers, still working hard at containing the quivering resentment and fury though the external manifestation had dissipated. She knew that Arizona was sensing her every hesitation, using her spare thumb to soothingly stroke the inside of Callie's forearm, running from elbow to wrist rhythmically. "We should go," Callie said eventually, swallowing the tears that were threatening to replace the bubbling anger.

"Yeah," Arizona agreed, closing her eyes in a prolonged blink and releasing a lengthy sigh. "Let's go."


With the crown of her head pushed against the stainless steel surface of the large refrigerator, Arizona's arms flailed. Strong fingers pierced the sides of her neck and compressed her airway, each breath felt pained and desperate.

She was panicking. Every desperate intake of air seemed shallower and less oxygenated, though it was partially to do with her racing pulse and disjointed cognition. Drawn back a few inches, she was pushed heavily into the fridge again, the inanimate object groaning under the pressure. A thick wetness drizzled down her hairline and past her ear; another small hidden scar.

Screamed, nonsensical words reached her ears. She wasn't sure if it was Emily that was failing to make logic or she was past the point of being able to comprehend.

Arizona was done.

It was almost a conscious decision to relax her tense muscles and allow herself to surreally fall to the floor as if in slow motion. Her head tipped back and the tightness in her jaw dissipated so that her mouth hung open. She watched the ceiling briefly, taking count of the small speckles of water stains and the cobwebs dancing across the skirting board corner. Her final thought before her eyelids felt heavy; there were no spiders in the web.

And when she woke, a tender thumb stroked the back of her hand and smooth fingernails trailed affectionately down her cheek. A harsh fluorescent light pierced her sensitive vision and she audibly groaned, a silver stethoscope swinging in her peripheral vision.

They were talking across her; Emily and a young, scrub clad doctor. Fall, loss of consciousness; glue, not stitches.

Then there were kisses being pressed to her temple, dry lips that told of contradictions and facades.

Arizona barely spoke a word; just smiled and nodded her agreement. A social worker stopped by the foot of her bed, asked if there was anything they needed. Hastily declined, she shared a glance with Arizona. Another smile dismissed her.

She knew that the documentation would reflect her ambivalence – patient declined social work input; partner present and supportive. Who knew what lies Emily had told, though she almost appreciated the effort. Private facility or not, she didn't want to be caught up in some rumour filled bureaucracy.

They were home before she knew it, carrying the tail end of a post-concussion headache. Emily showered her with affection, running a bath and bringing her paracetamol with a tall glass of water. Tears brimmed in Emily's eyes, staring at Arizona as if she were bruised by a stranger. Not a hint of an apology; absent of regret yet so very ignorant of the collateral damage she caused with her bare hands.


Disorientated in the dark hotel room, Arizona fumbled at her bedside table. Items tumbled across the small wooden structure and fell to the carpeted floor; her phone and an empty glass of water, the thin gold chain that held seven lucky rings – white, rose and yellow gold. A touch lamp flooded the room with a dull glow and Callie's stirring form jerked quickly awake. "What's wrong?" she asked, words slurred with a thick, stale tongue.

"Sorry," Arizona gasped, facing away from Callie with a shaking hand still lingering over the surface of the table.

Callie squirmed under the covers, straightening her askew pyjama t-shirt and rolling on to her side. She reached a hand out, gently resting it on Arizona's hip. The slightest hint of a quiver trembled through her fingertips. "What happened?"

Arizona shook her head, audibly drawing in steadying breaths. "Nothing," she conceded softly. "Just a dream. I didn't mean to wake you."

"Not a big deal," Callie said, yawning. "Are you okay?"

Hesitating momentarily before responding, Arizona murmured a non-convincing, "yeah."

"Sure?"

Still working hard to even out her breathing, Arizona rolled on to her back. Callie lifted her hand slightly before laying it on Arizona's abdomen, feeling the slightly rushed rise and fall beneath her touch. "Yes," Arizona replied more definitely this time, offering a slight embarrassed laugh. "Had no idea where I was for a minute there."

"Big day today," Callie stated, acknowledging what had been left grossly unsaid for the past week. Their court date had crept towards them, spectacularly avoided between returning to shifts at the hospital and the hyper vigilance their life was requiring in the wake of Emily's trashing of their apartments.

"Shhhh," Arizona whispered, covering Callie's forearm with her hand and gripping it tightly. "We don't have to think about it until morning."

Tugging herself closer, Callie moulded her body into Arizona's, sharing their warmth. "Okay," she husked into Arizona's ear, dipping her chin to press consecutive kisses to her shoulder. "You want to tell me about the dream?"

Arizona shook her head, taking a deep breath and glancing at the ceiling. "Nah," she responded, "I'm okay. Just more crappy memories."

"Today will be over soon enough."

"Yeah." A barely convinced response, but at least the direct, necessary confrontation would be over. Everything else was out of her control; what Emily chose to do. She had been formally charged with break and enter, a few minimal counts of destruction of property. She had taken every framed photo of Arizona and Callie, as well as a few others that symbolised their life together in Seattle. They had been smashed and torn, dropped into a large commercial waste bin in the parking lot of their apartments. She had clearly not given a thought or care to being caught and charged. Still, the criminal proceedings were a different matter and would be dealt with external to the family court system; just something else for them both to stress about.

That fact was heightening Arizona more than anything, the lack of care and control that Emily was demonstrating. She had moved away from being quite calculated and cautious, to being completely reckless. Her alcohol intake was obviously unmanageable and Arizona suspected that the paranoia Emily had occasionally hinted at during their time together had gained momentum and was creating a delusional world where she could no longer differentiate. That, or she was truly evil.

The notion to Arizona though, that anyone was really that innately evil, was simply shattering. It went against everything she was and held such pride in.

Still, the possibility was undeniably there.


"Ready?" Callie asked, fingernails digging in to her palm as Arizona sustained a death grip on her hand but refused to draw her eyes away from an unfocussed stare in front of her.

"No."

Callie shared a glance with Teddy and Mark, patiently standing outside the courthouse where they would hold vigil until Callie and Arizona returned, expectantly, with permanent orders in place. "Right," she murmured. "Anything I can do to help?"

A fleeting scowl crossed Arizona's expression and she took a step towards the entrance, dragging Callie with her. "Let's get this fucking over and done with and then we're moving to some remote Middle Eastern desert town."

Smiling slightly, Callie followed, offering a quick wave of acknowledge to Mark and Teddy, as they walked through the entrance. "Middle Eastern? I think a lovely coastal town somewhere would be better. Perhaps on the shore of a Scottish Loch?"

"Too cold," Arizona quickly shot back, face deadpan. "A beach on the east coast of Australia?"

"Oh yes, much better," Callie confirmed. "We can take up a cannabis habit and start surfing."

"Superb plan."

"Good to see you've got a healthy handle on things, Arizona," Callie joked, tugging Arizona into her and pressing a messy kiss into her blond hair.

Closing her eyes, Arizona finally turned her face and offered a small grin. "I know, I'm saying the same thing five million times, but I just want this over with."

"Me too."

"And I don't want to see her. At all."

"Mmm, not much either of us can do about that one but just ignore her, focus on me or the bored Judge. Okay?"

"Yep." Working hard at keeping her tone light and frame of mind positive, Arizona couldn't ignore the bubbling nausea in her stomach and nervous irregularity of her breathing. She tried to slow her mind and stop herself from running ahead with a range of different scenarios and hypothetical situations; just allowing herself to stride on autopilot into the correct courtroom and into a bench seat. A court appointed representative spoke quickly with them, affidavits in hand. Emily hadn't offered any counter-applications, so it was expected to go ahead without complication.

Callie noticed Emily first, striding in confidently with a suited man by her side, presumably her hired legal representative for the criminal charges as well. She was barely recognisable in a knee length dark blue skirt suit, complete with stockings and heels. Her hair had been pulled back into a groomed bun and thin rimmed glasses sat perfectly on the bridge of her nose. The only noticeable sign of anxiety was the way her thumb and forefinger constantly twirled a small pendant on a gold chain around her neck.

"Just keep looking ahead," Callie whispered, repositioning her arm to drape over the back of the chair so that her fingertips could gently maintain contact on Arizona's arm and shoulder. "We don't need to do anything or say anything, everything is under control." They had been assured that the Judge was unlikely to ask them anything other than to validate and confirm their most recent statements. A reassuring challenge to their television informed visions of oaths and cross-examinations.

Arizona sneaked a glance across the room and forced a shaky smile. "What are we going to do after this?" she asked quietly, voice wobbling slightly.

"Funny you should ask that," Callie whispered back, turning her body to almost block Arizona from Emily's view. "I've got a huge craving for ice cream, something completely decadent."

"It's eleven in the morning, Calliope."

"And?"

"Good point, maybe we should have lunch with Teddy and Mark. They're waiting outside, right?"

"Yep, they don't want to intrude, they just wanted to you know, show their support," Callie explained quickly and Arizona nodded.

"I know, I don't mind. It's nice."

"So lunch and then ice cream?" Callie asked, smiling.

Arizona rolled her eyes and leant into Callie. "Yes, and then ice cream."

The proceedings continued quickly, the entire formal hearing lasting less than ten or fifteen minutes. Emily sternly denied the allegations, performing admirably in her professional and condescending manner. She was essentially ignored though, the evidence and consistent reports enough for the temporary protection orders to be upheld. Arizona and Callie were asked only a few times to confirm that their secured apartments had been entered and that Emily had approached other parties as per their formal statements.

With a few brief words to their legal spokesperson, Callie and Arizona left quickly, exiting the courtroom before Emily had an opportunity to gather her belongings. Arizona had the misfortune of meeting Emily's eyes, as they rounded the edge of the bench seat and headed towards the exit through the middle of the courtroom. She smiled and Arizona felt bile simmer in the back of her throat, grinding her teeth when Emily raised the hand she held at her hip into a discrete wave.

The door jolted into place behind them and Arizona released a groan that radiated relief and frustration. "Get me out of here and to a nice relaxed lunch with a very strong coffee."

"Done," Callie confirmed, one hand to the small of Arizona's back as she hurried to keep up with Arizona's seemingly desperate pace. Pulling her cell phone from a small external zip pocket in her handbag, Callie pressed a few buttons and held the phone to her ear. "Hey," she murmured when Mark answered the phone, slightly breathless as she weaved between a few dawdling people that were blocking Arizona's direct route. "Yeah, we're done. You guys up for lunch? We need a coffee." Chuckling lightly, Callie shook her head. "Irish coffee would be nice, but we'll settle for a double shot espresso."

"Make it a triple," Arizona muttered over her shoulder and Callie eagerly nodded.

"Yeah, Arizona thinks a triple would be better. We're just heading out now, you're out front?" Callie paused, waiting for confirmation as they exited, eyes adjusting to the sunlight. "Yep, got you. See you in a second," she added, locating Teddy and Mark anxiously waiting.

"All done? Sorted? No problems?" Teddy asked quickly, words tumbling out of her mouth as she tucked wayward pieces of hair behind her ears and stopped Arizona at an arms length to scrutinise her appearance.

Arizona nodded and responded to Teddy's grip on her biceps with a genuine smile. "No dramas, order in place. Four hundred yards, workplace, home – all of that; same as the temp ones."

"Excellent," Teddy said, breathing her own sigh of relief. She crushed Arizona in a tight hug while Mark softly pushed at Callie's shoulder in his effort at emotional connectivity.

"I'm not kidding," Callie said, blinking away a swell of emotion as their shared relief. "I am desperate for a coffee, the instant I had this morning just isn't holding up."

"Right," Mark acknowledged, voice deep and with a clear sense of purpose threw an arm around Callie's shoulders. "Lunch it is. Any requests?"

A series of shrugs and head shakes were shared between them as Mark led them all towards his car. "Teddy, you mentioned that organic café near your place the other day. I wasn't really listening, did you say it was good or not?"

"Mmm," Teddy nodded, looping her arm into Arizona's. "Really good; exceptionally good even."

"Suits me," Callie agreed and Arizona nodded, a sudden eerie sense creeping up her spine. It was an odd foreboding sensation and it started in her lower back, tingling progressively towards the nape of her neck. Glancing over her shoulder, Arizona scanned for a brief moment before her eyes came to rest on Emily's form. She stood at the bottom of the steps, arms crossed and eyes fixated on Arizona; almost as if she was staring through her, expression filled with repulsion.

Teddy emulated Arizona's glance before tugging on her arm and drawing her back. "Don't look back," she mumbled, knowing that Arizona was holding the sharp intake of air she had drawn on sight.

"Fuck," Arizona muttered quietly, exhaling in a rush. She focussed her eyes on Callie's back, following step for step as they moved across grass and onto the sidewalk.

"Yeah," Teddy agreed. "Fuck." It seemed useless to make promises, false assurances that everything would be alright. That they had her back; could keep her safe. Teddy wasn't completely sure that any of them were safe. The person she had observed outside the hospital was a woman out of control, irrational and dangerous. She was escalating and despite every effort, some things they just didn't have any power over.

And predicting her next move; impossible.


"A gun license? Why do you possibly want a gun license?" Arizona froze, hand gripping the long handle of a wooden spoon, mid-stir in a large silver saucepan.

Emily rolled her eyes, fingers caressing the small pistol as she turned it over and over, eyes wide in admiration. "Why would I possibly not?" she asked rhetorically, smile wide as a low laugh bubbled from the back of her throat. "This way I can always protect you, baby. How brilliant is that?"

"Guns aren't toys, Em," Arizona murmured, unable to draw her eyes away from the weapon. How she despised the very existence of guns.

"Oh but they can still be fun. What happened to you? You used to have a sense of adventure, the old you would have been at the range with me. Ever since your brother, Arizona, you're just not the same. This way I can look after you better, you know that."

"I don't want guns in this house, please."

Emily laughed again, head rolling back. "This is my house baby, but I promise I'll keep it locked away. You won't even know it's here."

Arizona shuddered; she doubted she would ever forget.


TBC…