A/N - Good Evening all. I know its a bit late in the day to be posting a chapter but I have a valid reason. 4 days ago I bought a ten week old border collie and hes a bit of a hand full. Axel (my pup) has just settled down for the night so I thought it was finally time to sit down with my laptop and proof read and post the chapter.
To Calzonafan123, I am writing chapters in their 30's and thats when our girls finally get together. Callie needs to do a bit of work on herself first before she can even entertain stepping into another relationship. but have no fear, Arizona is on hand to help her make those steps and our two girls will get together and have a happy ending.
Right thats me off to catch up on some other stories while little man is sleeping. I hope youve all had a good weekend and are ready for the grind of work to begin tomorrow.
AL xx
-oOo-
Callie woke up at six on the dot and groaned into the morning light that lit up her bedroom. Bar the odd few times over the past few weeks she was always up so early because of Earl's routine and it was a habit she was trying but failing to break. After lying in bed for ten minutes and trying to fall back asleep she gave up and made her way to the bathroom and jumped in the shower, after washing her hair and body she crept out towards her bedroom hoping not to wake her slumbering parents.
Tying her wet hair back in a bun, she threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and made her way to the kitchen to fix some breakfast and blanched when she found her mother and father sitting at the dining room table with a coffee in hand. Her father was reading the paper and her mother was typing away on her laptop. There was a coffee and a bacon sandwich sat in one of the empty spots around the table.
"Did I wake you guys?" Callie asked a little nervously.
"Not at all Mija, I've been up for a while. I thought I had better clear out my inbox before we head out for the day" Lucia smiled towards her daughter.
"Thanks for making me breakfast" Callie smiled softly, it was taking a bit of getting used to having people do nice things for her but she sincerely appreciated it. "I think I might take it outside if that's ok with you"
"Of course darling, I expected you would" Lucia offered a loving smile before returning to her laptop.
"How did last night go, you didn't say much when you got home" Carlos asked tenderly.
"It was good, I had a bit of a melt down at the end though... it just got a bit too much for me" Callie admitted sadly with a blush.
"Well the fact that you went is a step in the positive direction, I'm proud of you Mija" Carlos said softly and Callie felt the tears well up in her eyes. "What is it Calliope, what's the matter" He asked after seeing the tears.
"It's just... it's such a small thing and I got overwhelmed by it, maybe I'm not ready for Drews" Callie admitted.
"I can't claim to know all that you have been through in the past three years but putting yourself out there like you did last night is not a small feat, it's a huge step and you should be proud of yourself. Going back to Drew's isn't going to be easy for you, in fact I imagine it will be quite difficult... but whether you do it now, or in a years time its still going to be a problem you have to face. And your mother and I will be here to support you whatever you decide to do. We couldn't be prouder of the person you have become, you are so strong and resilient and whether you decide to become a doctor, or get a job working at the cinema, we will be proud of you regardless. It's your choice whether you want to go back to Drews and follow your childhood dreams" Carlos smiled softly.
"I really do I'm just scared. There is going to be so many people there, and what happens if they find out about my past?" Callie asked as a tear rolled down her cheek.
"Oh Mija, yes there will be a lot of people there but the more often you are in social situations the easier they will become, it's going to be tough for the first few days, weeks maybe. But you will soon get used to it. And nobody will find out about your past unless you wish to tell them, how would they find out?"
"What if they question why I deferred a few years?"
"You tell them that it was a personal choice and leave it at that" Carlos said soothingly as he rose from his chair and made his way to his daughter and wiped the tear stained cheeks with his thumb. "You have got this Calliope, you can do whatever you put your mind too, don't forget that my strong beautiful girl"
"Thanks Papi" Callie smiled tightly, "I'm going to take these outside and think for a bit"
"We will leave here at eight to get to the shops in time for opening sweetheart" Lucia called over her shoulder, she had witnessed the exchange between father and daughter but had allowed them to have their moment, it wasn't often Carlos was around to be a support for his children with the long hours he worked.
"Do you think she will be alright?" Carlos asked after his daughter had shut the French doors behind her and he watched as she moved herself to the chair she had claimed in the garden as her own and sat basking in the early morning sun.
"I think she will be just fine, we just have to keep checking in with her and make sure she knows that if she ever needs to chat, that we are here for her"
"Do you think she will ever tell us what actually happened with that bastard? I know we know the basics but she has never once tried to open up to us about it"
"I would imagine that she is embarrassed and ashamed about it, one day when she if feeling strong enough she will open up to us. Until that day we just need to be patient and loving" Lucia offered a supportive smile to her husband.
"I wish the bastard was dead, that way she wouldn't have to worry about him or face him again"
"Don't even think about it, I know you like to get involved and try to throw your money at problems to fix it but hiring a hit out on him is not the solution, we are not those people Carlos"
"I won't lie and say it hasn't crossed my mind, a hundred times if not more"
"Keep it as just that, a thought. If anything happens to him we will be the first people the police turn to for answers. Keep out of it"
"Yes dear"
"The best thing we can do is make sure that he gets locked up for as long as possible, what with the attempted murder of Calliope, and Arizona, and the domestic violence and rape as well as the theft of Calliope's inheritance, that monster will be looking at a lengthy stretch"
"I should think so, they should throw away the bloody key and let him rot"
"I feel exactly the same, That's why we have hired the big guns to take on her case, he will get what's coming to him don't you worry"
-oOo-
"Morning Cal, couldn't sleep?" Arizona asked over the fence as she saw her best friend sitting contemplatively with an untouched bacon sandwich on her lap.
"Same old routine, it's hard to break" Callie admitted as she watched the blonde unlatch the gate and wander into the larger garden. She took a seat opposite Callie and picked up the coffee cup and took a swig despite knowing it would be too bitter for her, and as usual she pulled a face at the taste making the brunette scoff.
"Why do you insist on stealing my coffee when you know that you don't like it" Callie asked with a voice laced with amusement.
"It's coffee, even if it is a bit bitter it still tastes like heaven"
"Your nuts"
"Yes, yes I am... so are you still going shopping with your mum today?"
"Yep, we are leaving at eight on the dot, don't want to be late for the shops opening" Callie rolled her eyes in mock annoyance at her mother.
"You feeling ok about it?" Arizona asked cautiously.
"Nervous, especially after my little melt down last night but mama will be there the whole time, plus if I'm going back to Drews on Monday I need to get used to being around people. They are hardly going to hold a lecture just for me"
"True, just don't be too hard on yourself if you have another little meltdown. You're doing an amazing job and going back to study isn't going to be easy for you, but you can do this"
"Thats pretty much what Papi just said to me"
"Carlos is a wise man, you should listen to him more often" Arizona laughed.
"Don't tell him that or his head will swell, what time are you working today?"
"I start at ten"
"Urgh, long day for you then"
"Your time will come, let me tell you those twelve hour shifts kick your ass but not as bad as the twenty four hour shifts"
"Arizona, do you think I'm crazy for wanting to be a doctor still? After everything that's happened do you think I can do this?"
"Absolutely I do, I think you're going to be an amazing doctor"
"Are you just saying that?"
"Calliope, you are going to be amazing, if anything what you have been through will make you a better doctor than even me... and I'm an amazing doctor"
"Jeez watch your head doesn't swell Dr Robbins"
"Nothing wrong with understanding how good you are, and you my friend are going to be amazing, just you wait and see"
"Thank you"
"No need to thank me I'm just telling the truth"
-oOo-
"Before we go in I have a gift from your father and I" Lucia said as she pulled into a parking space in the mall and grabbed her handbag from the back seat, pulling out her purse she grabbed a credit card and handed it to her daughter.
"Mami I don't need this honestly I will make do with what I have, it will be a struggle but I can do it"
"Nonesense, I want you to take this card and use it for whatever you need or want. Your father also wants us to look at cars, he said that no daughter of his will be getting a bus to Drews" Lucia smiled warmly.
"It's too much"
"It's nothing Mija, it's just money and we have plenty of it. There is absolutely no need for you to struggle when we have more than enough money to support you"
"I'm just... it's a lot you know, I've gone from owning nothing and having nothing to being told to go and buy whatever I want, I guess I've just gotten used to having nothing"
"Well you can have whatever you want now, I think if you told your father you wanted a private jet he would buy you one of those as well" Lucia smirked playfully.
"Doesn't Papi already have a private jet?"
"Yes dear but you are his first born daughter, and we lost you for so long he's just trying to make up for lost time"
"He doesn't need to do that though"
"No he doesn't but he wants to, so just take the card and say thank you and think nothing more of it"
"Thank you Mami"
"My pleasure dear, now lets go and set that thing on fire. There is so much we need to buy!"
Three hours later and the two women had already taken two trips back to the car to get rid of some bags. Callie had bought almost an entire new wardrobe so she had plenty of clothes to wear for med school. Lucia had purchased a few items herself but most of the money was spent on Callie, she had even purchased a new laptop so that she could use it for her studies.
They sat down at a café to have a break and rest their tired feet and decided that they were hungry enough to share a sandwich and a scone between them, ordering a coffee for her mother and a decaf for herself... she only allowed herself one coffee on a morning due to her pregnancy. They sat and chatted, Lucia filling Callie in on bits of gossip from family friends, who had married who and who had been having botox injections in a bid to look younger and the two brunettes were having a blast. The longer Callie was there the more comfortable she was getting being surrounded by people, she didn't however stop glancing around her to see if she could spot Earl anywhere, despite how much she tried to stop herself she couldn't help it. She was terrified that she would bump into him and he would drag her away back to her prison and miserable existence. But she persevered regardless and tried to make the best of a bad situation. She was safe, she was healthy and she was having a wonderful time with her mother.