A/N

Evening all from 'sunny' England... yeah right, its miserable and raining again. Apparantly this is summer, but today I saw it attempt to snow! in the middle of May, the world has gone mad!

Anyways, slightly shorter chapter tonight but some questions will be answered. tonights chapter is completely a flash back. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for the reviews and pm's. they make what im doing more enjoyable so please keep them up, I love hearing feedback from the readers.

Not long now until Arizona comes charging in on her white horse to save the day.

Enjoy

AL xx

-oOo-

"Hey Callie, how's it all going?" Arizona smiled sweetly through the computer screen at the brunette.

"You know, really good… You're looking happy" Callie forced a smile on her face as the blondes happiness beamed through the line at her.

"Yeah I am, I finally finished unpacking and I finished my first ever assignment. Oh and I met this girl at a party last night, she's smoking hot and seems really nice and my god is she a good kisser, we are going on a first date tomorrow night, you would like her, she's called Josie though… and as if that name isn't bad enough I can't even shorten it because calling my current Jo when my ex is Jo would just be way too weird! Oh and my roommate seems to be warming up a little and doesn't look like she wants to murder me every time I take a breath. Oh and I cooked for the first time Cal, I actually cooked a meal for myself… and I know I just built it up a little bit and your probably really excited to find out all about this culinary wonder that I created… but it was noodles, like two minute noodles, so it's not exactly cooking more, making a coffee that tastes like chicken and has noodles in it, but I made it myself and it didn't taste too bad at all and..."

"Battleship breathe! Jeez, I see your month of university hasn't taught you how not to ramble yet. It sounds like you're having a blast!" Callie laughed softly.

"I'm sorry I'm running on excitement, caffeine and more caffeine" Arizona mocked herself. "Anyway tell me, how is Drew's… are you rocking it already?"

"Meh its ok I guess. I feel like I'm in the dumb class even though I'm far from dumb. Most days I struggle to stay awake during lectures because it's like they are teaching me the absolute bare minimum and nothing more and are doing it in the most monotonous voice possible because they actually want one of us to drop dead mid lecture just so something exciting actually happens" Callie scoffed with a roll of the eyes.

"Come on it can't be that bad Cal?" Arizona asked worriedly at the dejection on her girl's face, she had spoken to Joanne recently and although Jo had not been singing and dancing about the quality of education at Drew's, she certainly wasn't being as negative as Callie was about it.

"Ok it's not that bad, I'm just grumpy because it's still Drew's and I'm better than stupid Drew's! I will get over it eventually. I did get a 98 in my first assignment though so I can't complain too much" Callie offered a smile to sooth her now worrying friend.

"Cal what's going on with you, your being all weird" Arizona asked with a furrowed brow as she studied her friend intently. "What happened to your face?" Arizona gasped as she edged closer to the screen and could definitely see traces of bruising and the last remnants of swelling that had all but faded completely, both being hidden by makeup that would have done an amazing job of concealing the damage, had Arizona not known every crease, curve, freckle and blemish on every single square inch of Callie's body, well excluding one or two places that she hadn't studied closely, but everywhere else she had seen thousands upon thousands of times, she knew Callie's body better than her own and she assumed that the same could be said for the Latina, she had certainly caught her on the odd occasion having a little bit too much of an intent gaze, quickly followed by a blush and avoidance of it ever happening.

That had kind of always been the way for Arizona and Callie. Arizona was fully gay, completely lesbianic and she had known all about her sexuality pretty much since she was able to understand those kind of things, being gay was just natural for her and she hadn't questioned that until she and Callie had discussed boy's and she had realized that the way she felt about boys differed from how Callie felt about boys. It had taken her a week to cave and admit that she had lied to the brunette in agreeing and she didn't think Todd Heisler was pretty, she didn't want to hold his hand and she absolutely could think of nothing worse than to kiss him. To her great surprise, instead of the disgust, hate, horror, all of the above; Callie had giggled delightfully and admitted that although she wouldn't mind kissing Todd, his sister was really cute too.

And that's just how it had always been ever since. Tim was quickly let into the girl's 'secrets' and the three would spend their time talking about girls or laughing when Callie would talk about the odd boy and the Robbins twins would wrinkle their nose in disgust and tease her lovingly about it. The two best friends had always had an attraction to each other, ever since either could remember and even though it was a sworn secret between the three, Arizona had been Callie's first kiss, followed quickly by her second, Tim. But that was where it ended on the intimacy side of things, they were best friends, they couldn't have feelings for each other, they couldn't be attracted to each other. All Arizona could think about was how Tim's attempt had ended, Arizona had no desire to make things awkward with her best friend by admitting that sometimes she thought about kissing her again, or when they went swimming or sunbathing together she wouldn't be able to stop herself for too long from drinking in the sight of the Latina and the curves that grew as each month passed until she was a fully developed young woman whose body put to shame every skinny chick who thought her six pack and slender frame were to die for, little did those skinny girls know that real women looked very much like Callie Torres, all womanly curves and natural shapes.

And for Callie, when she finally got up the courage to admit to Tim that she had feelings, more than just friend feelings for Arizona and he had managed to convince her to go all out and tell his sister how the she felt, convinced that Arizona felt the same but would be too chicken shit to admit it because Callie had broken his heart when Tim himself had admitted he liked Callie. After lots of prompting, Callie had heard Arizona arrive and had swallowed her pride and prepared herself to put herself on the line, only for Arizona to enter the room holding the hand of another girl who Callie would later come to know and like very well. Yes, she had missed her chance and instead of telling Arizona and exploring the attraction and the feelings, she got to watch as her best friend fell in love with someone she couldn't bring herself to hate. Tim had tried numerous times to get her to confess anyway but she refused, Arizona was happy and being able to enjoy that smile, and that laugh, and the light in her eyes at Arizona's clear happiness of being with her girlfriend was enough for Callie, despite how much it hurt to have her feelings grow and strengthen from a distance, yes unrequited love really sucked.

"Calliope, you're scaring me! I'm going to call a few airlines now and try and get a flight, I will be there a-sap ok?" Arizona stood frantically, disappearing from view before returning with her mobile in hand as she searched through her phone with trembling hands as the worry and concern enveloped her soul and began to constrict around it.

"Wait Arizona, What are you doing?" Callie asked in confusion, only half understanding what was happening but needing clarification.

"Obviously something is going on right now, you're wearing makeup to cover bruises on your face and it looks like it was swollen too – Cal you never wear makeup unless you're going somewhere that warrants the effort to put it all on then have to take it all off again later. And when I asked you about it you completely zoned out on me for at least five minutes if not longer, I've been calling your name and you've just been staring blankly… you need me and I promised you all you had to do was say the word and I would be there, nothing is more important than you, not even Hopkins" Arizona rambled as she tapped various places on her touch screen phone, still getting used to such a new piece of technology on the market.

Callie watched the blonde intently, she could clearly see the tremble in her best friends hands as she held the phone with one hand and tapped agitatedly on it with the other that was moving between the phone and sweeping her hair behind her ear despite it already having been there, an obvious give for someone who knew Arizona as well as Callie did that the blonde was in full blown nervous mode.

Callie sighed, she needed her best friend right now, especially after the last few days and all that she had endured, but seeing Arizona's reaction she knew that the blonde would jump to her rescue and wouldn't leave her side again in order to protect her, no she had to lie. If she told Arizona that her and Earl had fought over Callie always being at university and coming home one night to their just off campus house that Earl had bought from some money that had fallen into his lap but wouldn't discuss, to announce that she was debating picking up some more classes to help her career out in the future.

She knew that her hours were full on as it was, but that was mainly because she spent most of her time studying in the library for her own projects and amusement, finding every medical book, textbook or journal that she could and reading it over and over until she absorbed as much information as possible before moving onto the next. She figured if she picked up a different course and actually put her trust fund to good use, she would be able to study two courses side by side and focus her energy on getting credits that counted rather than 'hobby reading'. Earl however, had not agreed. The mere suggestion that she picked up another course, funding it from her daddy's money, had made him lose it.

She had never seen him so angry before, the words that left his mouth were nothing but vicious and laced with intent to hurt and scar her soul. To remove any sense of pride or confidence she had in herself, in her abilities or her goals for the future. He seemed to have taken every single insecurity about her appearance, her personality, her family, her friends, her education, her chosen profession, her goals, her dreams, every single thing in her life that she had any form of worry or insecurity about he had picked up on and had thrown at her in a tsunami of loathing words that dripped with hatred and disdain. And when his words became defunct in delivering powerful stabs at her, his fists took over. He only hit her a few times, probably no more than five, but it was enough.

He had come to, realizing what he had done and for a brief moment a sense of shame washed over him before he stormed out of their home only to return a few hours later stinking of stale alcohol and swaying all over the place as he stumbled into the darkness only to find Callie sat in the exact same spot he had left her in, he had glared at her as he took in her appearance, the bruises, the swelling, the scrapes that had wept, the trail of blood from her split lip and her nose, the dried and crusty tear tracks from her eyes. And instead of feeling hatred at himself for being the reason his girlfriend looked like that, instead he felt hatred at the woman for turning him into the reason, it was her fault for pushing him so far, it was her fault for demeaning him so much, it was her fault for making him feel so angry that he lost control… the only problem was, if he tossed her out and cast her aside, he would lose the drip feed of funds that were coming into his bank from her inheritance account, he needed that money to pay for his own education, he needed that money to pay for the various car parts he needed… wanted… to spruce up his ride, he needed that money for the various party drugs he and his mates enjoyed when they went out drinking, normally on his shout, direct from his cash cow's bank account. No Callie needed to stay, she just needed to learn her place.

"Arizona, I umm… I got married" Callie finally breathed out, trying to hide the sob of misery and instead look happy.

"Wait… what… I thought you just said you got married?" Arizona's head snapped up to the laptop screen from her phone as she studied Callie again in shock.

"I did… Earl proposed, I said yes and we decided there was no point in waiting… so we got married… three days ago" Callie forced her frown to not fall on her face and give away her sheer misery.

"Wait… Callie… what? What the hell are you talking about?" Arizona asked in shock, she could not believe the words she had just seen and heard what had come from her friends mouth.

No way would her best friend get married without even telling her. They had discussed their weddings many times as little girls until more recently, Callie had always been determined that she would have a big white wedding with all the dressings and Arizona as her maid of honour and Tim as her man of honour she had also insisted that despite Arizona not being a big believer in marriage, one day the blonde would meet someone who would change her mind and on that day she would accept Timmo being her best man as long as she got to be best woman.

Arizona had claimed her crazy each and every time, but in her heart she always wondered if there was the possibility that she wasn't interested in marriage because the only person she could see herself growing old with wanted to be the best woman in her wedding and not the bride.

"Earl and I… we got married, what's the big deal, why does everyone care so much?" Callie scoffed, rolling her eyes and turning her attention away from the laptop before Arizona was able to see the truth and panic in her chocolate orbs. The blonde was always able to read her so easily and when questioned, Arizona would laugh sweetly and reply with something along the lines of 'it's all in your eyes, your eyes tell me the story of every thought, feeling and emotion you're experiencing as its happening'.

"Calliope, are you crazy right now? Have you been drinking? Wait, have you gotten addicted to crack or something in the month I have been gone… you literally told me like a month and a half ago that you weren't sure that Earl was the one for you after all and now what, suddenly your married? And what about your big white wedding huh? What did you just decide on the spur of the moment that you're going to get married without telling any of your family and you're going to just dismiss every dream you ever had of what your wedding would look like? You've actually lost the plot… you're having some kind of mental breakdown right now, right?" Arizona almost screamed in frustration and confusion at her best friend who flinched in shock at the reaction.

"What the hell do you care anyway Arizona? You're not even here so why does it bother you so much?" Callie snapped in return, swallowing the lump in her throat when she heard her own tone before her words started reverberating in her head to increase the growing guilt at releasing her anger at the wrong person, at the only person she wanted to plead to help her instead.

"Calliope do you hear yourself right now? Jesus. Do our parents know?" Arizona folded her arms over her chest indignantly.

"Not that it's any of yours or their business but yes they do!" Callie mirrored the blonde's body language, unused to finding herself in a serious stand off against her, in fact she was pretty sure that this was the first time they had ever really argued about anything.

"And what did they have to say about this?" Arizona spat the word this as if it left a lasting distaste in her mouth, she had almost said the word 'marriage' following it, but she just couldn't get the word passed her lips.

"By this, you mean my marriage? I thought that out of everyone, that it would be you that I didn't need to worry about getting support from. My Dad has disowned me if you must know! He didn't think Earl was Torres material. Mum didn't say much but she didn't exactly disagree with Dad so I'm not expecting to hear from her anytime soon either, and Aria… she's too young to really understand but she messaged me to tell me that Dad has forbidden her from contacting me and she would be in touch soon when things had calmed down and she knew he wasn't watching her so closely. Your parents were shocked but said they would support me, but considering they had just witnessed my parents literally kick me to the curb, what else were they meant to do?" Callie released a pained sob before taking a deep breath and reigning herself in, now was not the time to panic. If she panicked Arizona would know and she would be straight home and throwing away her own life and her own future, she deserved better than that… no this was Callie's problem and she would fix it herself without dragging the blonde down with her.

"Cal! I'll come home and speak to Carlos and Lucia, I'm sure they just need time to calm down" Arizona sighed as she rubbed at her forehead harshly, confused and angry, hurt and lost as to how this had all happened in the few days since they last spoke.

"Arizona no, all due respect but I'm a big girl. I can sort out my own messes. I appreciate the offer but you can't fight all my battles" Callie scoffed at the thought of how ridiculous she sounded, she absolutely needed Arizona to come and bail her out, absolutely needed the blonde to come and sweep her up in her safe arms and protect her from the giant mistake she had allowed to happen that went by the name Earl.

"Cal… I feel like your hiding something from me… what's really going on here, you can tell me anything, you've always been able to tell me anything you don't need to hide things from me, not from me!" Arizona pleaded.

"What exactly do you think I'm hiding from you?" Callie practically yelled in frustration, half hoping Arizona would call her bluff and guess what was happening, and half hoping that her tone would scare Arizona from delving any deeper and discovering her secret. The thought of the shame and embarrassment of her best friend knowing how much of a failure her love life had become washed over her and she felt her resolve to push Arizona away heighten.

"You need to tell me what you are hiding Calliope… why is your face covered in bruises? Start with that!" Arizona asked point blank and stared at the screen, not budging and Callie knew she wouldn't budge. Arizona was just as stubborn as she could be herself sometimes and although she found the trait amusing and alluring, today it was not, no today it was frustrating and irritating.

"I fell over Arizona, got banged up pretty good and my face took the brunt of it, that's all. What exactly do you think happened to me?" Callie challenged and Arizona could have sworn that she saw an endless mixture of emotions in her expressive brown eyes, even through the grainy camera feed, the hope, guilt, anger, pain, stubbornness, fury, dejection… more and more emotions kept swimming to the surface and all Arizona could do was watch and wait for Callie to decide which way she was going to play this: let her in or shut her out.

"And your marriage?" Arizona asked squinting her eyes and tilting her head to the side in the way that she knew would alert Callie to the fact that she was scrutinizing her every single word, tone, facial expression and movement for truth, it was an action Callie had witnessed many, many times and had teased the blonde about just as many times.

"Like I said, after my parent's reaction to the engagement we decided to just not wait, that's all there is to it" Callie offered, staring into Arizona's blue grainy eyes and begging for her to buy it. Arizona was better than to get caught up in her mess, Arizona was kind and beautiful, sweet and sensitive, strong and loyal, funny and true to her word. She was everything she had believed Earl to be up until just a few days ago, how very wrong she had been.

"Calliope, I want to believe you because you have never once lied to me, not one single time in the entire time we have known each other, you have never once given me reason to doubt you… but you know me as well as I know you and there is more to this. Are you pregnant, is that it?" Arizona sighed in frustration, studying Callie's reactions carefully.

"You asked me for the truth and I have given you it. If you can't just believe me without throwing ridiculous accusations at me, then there is really no point in continuing this conversation" Callie snapped, being cut off by an alarm coming from Arizona's end.

"Shit, Cal I have a lecture I have to go to, I'm sorry. I will call you tomorrow when we have both calmed down a bit and we will work this out. I love you ok?" Arizona pleaded, hating having to end this conversation when they were both clearly upset with each other.

"Yeah ok, don't study too hard" Callie glared at the screen.

"Calliope!... I love you" Arizona repeated, smiling when she saw Callie's shoulders loosen and her brown eyes roll in their caramel envelopes.

"I love you too Battleship, and I promise you, I'm ok and I aren't pregnant that I know of, it's nothing I can't handle so just focus on being a rock star doctor ok?" Callie offered, the anger beginning to diminish after hearing Arizona's words of love and affection.

"I will never stop worrying about you Cal, you are my best friend. I'm always worried about you because I love you!" Arizona offered with conviction.

"Yeah, yeah… quit the soppy shit and get to class before you flunk out. I love you Arizona" Callie couldn't help but smile despite the pain in her lip.

"Love you too, be good and I will call you tomorrow!" and with that the call disconnected, the screen went back to its homepage and Callie slumped, suddenly feeling completely drained and exhausted.

"Correct me if I am wrong… but did I just hear you say 'I love you' to somebody other than your husband?" Callie stiffened as Earl's voice filled the room and the panic rose within her, she had no idea how long he had been there, how long he had been listening, how much he had heard… but one thing she did know, he did not sound happy.

"Hey Earl, that was just Arizona. I was giving her the good news about the wedding. She says congratulations by the way" Callie lied as she tried to settle her heart rate. Earl had to have been having a bad week, he was under a lot of pressure at work at the moment after all. His apprenticeship was all but over, the practical and written parts of his education were complete and now all he had to do was complete his exams and he would be a fully qualified mechanic. That had to be it, just a little too much stress. Things would return to normal shortly and he would pull out all the stops to make it up to her.

"Oh I heard exactly what that stuck up little bitch had to say about it, that was the last time you ever speak to her, do I make myself clear Cal?" Earl growled as he moved towards the brunette, snatching her mobile device in one hand and her laptop screen in the other as he ripped the portable computer from its spot on the desk and ripped the charging cable directly from the wall. Callie watched on in confusion at his actions before suddenly realizing what he was doing and what he had said.

"But… she's my best friend Earl! If I don't talk to her, she will know something is going on… and please I need my laptop for my studying!" Callie pleaded.

"Let me inform you how it's going to be from now on sweetheart. Tomorrow you will call Drew's and withdraw from the program, tell them that you just can't hack it, I don't give a shit… just end it and don't ever mention your study's to me again, this stupid dream of being a doctor is over! The fact that you still even think you could try to be a doctor after being rejected by every med school in the country apart from the shittiest one that are begging for students to enrol so that they can stay open. From now on you don't speak to anyone but me without me being right here next to you and giving you permission to speak. Your sole focus from this moment forward is to be the perfect wife, you do as I say when I say. You have my dinner on the table when I say to have it, my clothes cleaned and pressed before I want to wear them, my boots polished every morning before I leave for work and I want this house kept in immaculate condition, immaculate Callie!"

"Earl… I'm not… I can't… being a doctor is all I have ever dreamed about, and if I just stop talking to people they will ask questions… my parents, Arizona, Tim… people will ask questions and come find me to find out what's happening to me" Callie stuttered in horror, the fear overwhelming her.

"Well it's a good job we are moving at the weekend, I bought a house, it needs a bit of work doing to it but you will manage it, your good with your hands" Earl offered a wink that made Callie's skin crawl. "Even if anyone does want to find your sorry worthless ass, they won't be able to find you anyway" Earl laughed.

"Earl you can't do this!" Callie begged.

"That is the last time you will get away with telling me that I can't do anything, the next time you try I will beat the lesson into you, do you want to test me on this Callie? It's over, tomorrow you call Drew's and withdraw and that's that" Earl warned, stepping into Callie's personal space and staring into her eyes threateningly.

"I… I… please Earl, please don't make me do this… it is all I have ever want..." and that was the moment Callie learned her first lesson at Earl's hand about answering him back, about arguing his word, about challenging him, about being anything other than submissive. The next day she called Drew's and withdrew from her course claiming long term illness, the swelling of her jaw, lips and nose causing her distorted and strained voice to only further sell the illness lie. The university had been sad to hear her news and had offered any support they could, the end of the call being finished with one fact she intended for her husband to never find out, Drew's would keep her spot open for her to return to at any point within the next decade, to pick up where she left off.