Callie stepped out of Bismarck Airport, her stomach in knots. Not only was the whole situation stressful enough to basically give her heart palpitations, but now she also had to worry about whether she would recognise Jo from her facebook profile picture. She'd said that she was genuinely happy to take a cab, but Jo had insisted that it was no bother as she'd be leaving work at that time anyway. She'd also said something about it being good to get the chance to chat to Callie before they met up with Alex, but Callie was trying not to think about what that meant, and had enough manners to know that she couldn't turn down a free ride.

She glanced up and down the pick up area for a second time, trying to indiscreetly look between her phone screen and the people that were milling around.

"Callie?"

She spun around at the sound of her name being called out from behind her, and came face to face with someone that she instantly recognised as Jo.

"Jo, hi!" she exclaimed, trying to keep the nerves from her voice.

"Welcome to Bismarck" the other woman returned her smile warmly.

"Thank you so much for coming to get me"

"No worries honestly, it's really not much of a detour on my way home from work"

"Well I'm grateful all the same"

"Well the car's parked just over here in the short stay. Can I…help with your bag at all?" Jo offered.

"Thanks…" Callie shrugged, indicated the holdall over her shoulder "but I'm good"

"I figured but, you know, it seems like the kind of thing that people ask when they collect someone from the airport" Jo grinned.

"Right" Callie chuckled, following the other woman towards where she had indicated that the car was parked "well the generosity is of course massively appreciated"

They made small talk about Callie's journey and Jo's work as a veterinary nurse on the way to the car.

"So uh…" Callie started nervously once the vehicle was moving, satisfied that Jo could no longer safely look at her "you said you wanted to talk to me before we got back to Alex?"

"Oh" Jo laughed "I'm really sorry, did you think I meant we needed to have a serious talk?"

"Yeah…did you not mean that?"

"No, I mean…we kinda got the serious stuff out of the way via facebook messenger. I just meant that it would be good to get to know you a little bit in person before we get home, that's all. That way I might be able to…plug some of the gaps, I guess, if Alex goes all quiet on you"

"Which, unless he's changed a lot since I last saw him, I suspect he will" Callie added.

"Yeah…he hasn't changed much at all"

"Ok good…I mean, he was a great guy, so I wouldn't want him to have changed" she clarified.

"He speaks highly of you too"

"I…kinda find that hard to believe. But ok"

"Honestly. He doesn't blame you for what happened. And at the end of the day, the life he made for himself out here is probably better than the one he would have had if he'd stayed in Newport so…"

Callie gasped, placing a hand against her chest melodramatically "Hang on…are you saying that you don't think that Alex and I would have lived happily ever after?"

"Hmmm" Jo screwed up her face, pretending to consider it "something about your current relationship tells me that you and Alex might not have lasted the course"

"You're an observant woman Mrs Karev"

"So some people say" Jo grinned.

"I like you" Callie grinned back.

"I think I might like you too…which is kinda weird to say, given that you're my husband's ex and all…"

"Yes" Callie replied solemnly "that one month relationship when we were fifteen is something that future spouses and partners should be incredibly threatened by…"

"Oh I'm absolutely threatened. Worried my way right through my wedding vows…and my honeymoon…I mean, even last night when we were…"

"Ok" Callie laughed "I really don't think I want to hear the end of that sentence"

"Right yeah…forgot for a moment that this is actually the first time we've met"

"Yeah. Maybe we should keep details like that for like…the third meeting at least?"

"Third…fiftieth…something like that"

Both women laughed and they finished the rest of the journey with light conversation, including an entertaining story from Jo about an escaped hamster at the veterinary clinic that she worked at.

As they pulled up outside Jo and Alex's house, Callie could feel the nerves rising in her stomach again. She took her holdall from the trunk, and Jo walked up the path ahead of her, pausing and turning around.

"Stop worrying, ok? You're both gonna be fine"

Callie smiled gratefully "Thanks, it's like you read my mind"

"Not hard to do – your fear is written all over your face"

"Right. Yeah"

"Come on" Jo continued down the path, opening the door "Alex? We're back!"

The door shut behind them and Callie took a deep breath as Alex appeared from what she assumed was the kitchen.

"Hey babe" he gave Jo a peck on the lips before turning to Callie "hey Cal"

"Alex. Hi!" she smiled at him, wringing her hands nervously.

"It's uh…" Alex cleared his throat "it's good to see you"

"You too. I mean, you look great"

"Thanks"

"I love your house, and your wife…I mean, I love your wife an appropriate amount for someone who just met her this evening, and erm…"

Alex laughed "I get it, it's ok. Jo told me you and Arizona finally got your shit together"

"Yeah" Callie blushed "I guess we did"

"Well I'm pleased for you"

"Thanks. And I…" Callie bit her lip and forced herself to look directly at Alex "I really am so happy that things worked out so well for you. It seems like you have a pretty great life here"

"Yeah I do" Alex smiled, putting an arm round Jo "you guys both up for some dinner? I made lasagne"

"Sounds great" Callie smiled back, before turning to Jo "this isn't a trick, right? I mean, he can actually cook?"

Jo laughed "I promise, he's completely domesticated"

"In that case, lead the way"

Callie had to admit that dinner was a lot more enjoyable than she had anticipated. There was no awkwardness at all, and they just kept the conversation light. Although he'd obviously grown up since they'd last seen each other, Alex was still very much his old self – deadpan for most of the conversation but with a glint in his eye, and he and Jo seemed to just bounce off one another.

After they'd finished eating, Callie insisted on helping Jo clear away the plates.

"Right" Jo put a hand on her hip "you two head to the lounge and get out of my way while I finish clearing up"

"Are you sure? I…" Callie started to protest.

"Out. Now"

"Don't argue with her, Cal" Alex headed for the door "I learned that lesson on our first date"

"Damn right" Jo grinned.

"Understood" Callie smiled and followed Alex out of the room.

"Rum still your poison of choice?" he asked, opening the liquor cabinet.

"Yes please"

He poured two healthy measures of rum and coke and handed one to Callie, indicating for her to take a seat on the coach whilst he sat on a recliner.

"So…" he took a long sip of his drink "time to rip off the band aid?"

"I guess so" she mirrored his action "unless you want to put this off a little longer?"

He laughed "I'm fairly sure Jo sent us in here to have 'the talk', and I really don't fancy getting my ass kicked"

"Man, I can't believe someone got you under control" Callie grinned.

"Hey, I always had a thing for feisty women" he winked.

"Well it's good for you. You…seem really happy"

"I am"

"And you deserve it. I…I guess you know that I've recently found out a lot of things that I was previously unaware of. Which includes the circumstances that lead to you leaving. And firstly I just wanted to say that I'm truly, truly sorry that those things happened to you, especially because they happened because you were involved with me"

"It's not your fault, Cal"

"I know, I just…I'm sorry all the same"

"I appreciate that. I wish I'd had the courage to say something at the time. Maybe things would have been different…for Arizona, for you…"

"Things happen for a reason, Karev. If you hadn't left, you'd never have met Jo. You'd have been stuck in Newport doing god knows what…I mean, look at me"

"I think things turned out alright for you in the end" Alex smiled.

"Yeah…yeah they did" she smiled back.

"So how much do you know about what Eduardo did to me?"

"The party obviously…well, I always knew what happened, I just never knew who did it"

"Yeah" he shrugged.

"I mean…it did happen like you said, right? Eduardo and some of the others jumped you on your way home from the party?"

"Pretty much yeah. Eduardo got up in my face and told me I had to stay away from you. I told him to get lost, and he punched me a few times and said he hoped I'd get the message"

"But you didn't" Callie smiled wryly.

"Never was one for being told what to do…until I met Jo anyway. So you remember that day we skived off math?"

"I was just thinking about that. It was the last time we saw each other"

"Yeah. Turns out we weren't as subtle as we thought. A couple of the cheerleaders saw us apparently, and Eduardo and a couple of other jocks were waiting for me after school. They dragged me into Eduardo's truck, drove me out to an empty parking lot and they held me down while Eduardo smashed my legs with a crow bar. When they were done, he said he'd keep the crow bar and if I didn't leave town, he'd smash it over my mom's head. Then they chucked me back in the truck and dumped me on the porch at my parents' house. So yeah" Alex finished, his voice unwavering and dispassionate "didn't really have a choice but to leave"

"Who was it...apart from Eduardo, I mean?"

"I don't even remember their names...in fact i'm not even sure they went to our school. They just did whatever Eduardo said"

"Jesus" Callie exhaled "I knew…I guess I knew the end result, but hearing the detail…that's horrendous. How are you so calm?"

"I've had a really long time to get over it. I mean, you know I'm not really one to get emotional anyway. Physically it took me six months to recover, and mentally…well, I guess I still have a lot of anger but I've learned to deal with it over the years. Jo helped. A lot"

"She's a great woman"

"She really is" he smiled shyly.

"What did you tell your parents?"

Alex shrugged again "Skated around the truth, mostly. I mean, I was literally dumped outside their door with two broken legs, and I was in a lot of pain so I'm not fully sure what I said. But I think I basically said we had to get out of town right away, and they were so scared by the state of me that my dad called his boss and asked for a transfer that evening"

"You must have been terrified"

"Yeah" he fidgeted uncomfortably, unwilling to make eye contact "something like that"

"You never did like to show fear"

"I guess not. But yes…I was pretty scared" he slowly lifted his eyes to look at Callie, and she immediately understood how big of a deal it was for him to admit that.

"Thank you" she said softly "for being honest with me"

"It was a long time coming" he smiled wryly.

"Did you…ever think about pressing charges?"

"I guess. My parents and I talked about it once I was all healed and stuff, but I just wanted to forget about the whole thing. A few years later I looked into it but the statute of limitations was up, and so I just figured I had to put it behind me and move on"

"So" Callie cleared her throat "I guess this is the part where I ask you how you feel about going on record with your experience?"

"It won't just be me, right? You are talking to other people"

"Yeah, absolutely. I've already got some really disturbing stories from women I've met online. But I think you bring a different perspective. Plus…I plan on reflecting my own experience, but it's totally down to you as to how I reflect your part in that"

"And is there an option to speak anonymously?"

"Of course"

"In that case" Alex took a deep breath "count me in"