**WARNING - CONTAINS THE SUBJECT OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE**

Thanks so much for all of the recent reviews, follows and favourites. They mean an awful lot. It's nice to sit down with a coffee and read all of your thoughts.

To the guest who asked why Callie and Arizona must be together? Well, It's a Calzona fic so its kind of a given.

jr8dalefan - Thank you for sharing your story. It is appreciated, and I thank you for sticking with this story. It must be hard to read, and I hope I am doing it justice. I'm so happy that your situation has changed.

I own nothing. All characters/storylines belong to Shonda. I'm simply 'borrowing' them.

Chapter Four

Feeling a little more comfortable in Arizona's personal space, Callie had taken to waking early and providing breakfast for the blonde. She liked the idea of giving back a little, and after everything Arizona had done for her, cooking breakfast was the least she could do. It wasn't like back at home. Arizona didn't throw her plate at her head if there was something she didn't like. She didn't spit it out all over the floor if the pancakes weren't to her liking, and expect Callie to clean up the mess. No, she appreciated the work and effort the brunette had put into their breakfast, and she respected Callie's choice of food.

Day six of Callie living with Arizona had arrived, and although the brunette was fully aware of that fact, Suzanne hadn't tried to contact her. Maybe she's finally realised that she doesn't love me anymore. Flipping the pancakes from the pan to the plate, Callie listened out for the sound or Arizona shutting off the shower. As if on cue, blonde hair poked out around the doorframe of the bathroom. "Hey would you mind if I eat breakfast in my towel?"

"N-No. Sure. It's your apartment, Arizona."

"It's just that breakfast smells awesome and I don't want it to spoil while I dress. I can totally change though?"

"No, it's okay. Come sit. It's ready." Callie smiled as the other woman gave a slight nod.

Watching the blonde make her way down the hall, water dripping from her almost naked body, Callie swallowed thickly. She is so beautiful. Smiling as Arizona caught sight of her looking, the brunette cleared her throat. "Um, chocolate chip pancakes, fresh fruit, and I also made a few Blueberry pancakes too."

"Callie, this is awesome but you really don't have to cook for me." a small smile appeared on the blondes face.

"I know." Tanned shoulders shrugged. "I like making you breakfast."

"You do?"

"Yeah. It's nice when someone appreciates what you do for them, and you appreciate me cooking. She never did. It would usually end up all over the wall, or me." The brunette continued to clean up around her.

"She didn't like your food?" Arizona furrowed her brow. "What an asshole."

"I just never made it right for her, so she kind of had a point. I wouldn't eat something that tastes disgusting, so I kind of can't blame her."

"Y-You are joking right? Callie, this is like the best food I've tasted."

"It is?"

"Yeah, just, um, don't tell my mom I said that." An awkward smile appeared on the other woman's face. "She would kick my ass if she knew I was comparing her food to other people's."

"Your secret is safe with me." The brunette threw the other woman a wink. "Do you have anything to do today?"

"Actually, yeah. I'm supposed to be meeting a friend for coffee. You can come along if you like?" Blue eyes narrowed as the other woman thought about the invitation.

"Thanks but I think I'll stay here. My eyes are still a little hard to cover with makeup. Maybe a couple more days and I'll be okay."

"You sure? I'd totally keep you safe. You know that, right?"

"I do. Thank you, Arizona, but I'll just hang here." Callie smiled as she watched the blonde groan in delight with each mouthful of food. Arizona Robbins was great. She was caring, and respectful to other people. She hadn't once raised her voice or scolded Callie in anyway and that was something that had kept the brunette around. She doesn't look like the kind of person to shout at someone. Shaking herself from her thoughts, she watched as a pale, toned body stepped painfully close to her. Reaching forward, Arizona grabbed a coffee mug and stood staring at Callie.

"Um, hello?" Arizona waved a hand in front of the brunette. "Earth to Torres?"

"Huh?"

"I said, can I get you some coffee?"

A blush appearing on already dark cheeks, Callie felt her face begin to burn. "Oh, um, uh, yeah…. Please."

"Where did you go then?" The blonde furrowed her brow. "You totally left this planet for like a minute."

"I'm sorry. I was just thinking." Callie lied. Yes, she had been thinking, but only about the woman in front of her. Telling herself that it wasn't a bad thing, the brunette smiled. The last few days had been awesome, and the more time she spent with Arizona Robbins, the more she felt compelled to be around her. She made her feel normal. She made her feel like she had a purpose, and she made her want to find love again.

The blonde hadn't made any kind of pass at her, and Callie appreciated that. She knew that being in a small apartment with another woman could possibly be challenging but Arizona had been nothing but respectful of Callie and her body, and her need for a little space. Every night, like clockwork, Callie would disappear down the hall, and two hours later, reappear and ask in a childlike manner if she could join Arizona.

The evening would then consist of movie marathons with the blonde, and even though Arizona had seen all of the movies Callie suggested, she watched them again. After all, the brunette had a lot of catching up to do. It had been nice, and a welcome change from the shit storm she was used to in her own home. Callie knew that she wanted something more with the blonde who had potentially saved her life, but she also knew that it wasn't as easy as that. It would take time, and yes, Arizona liked her, but that didn't mean she wanted to be with someone who Callie seen as being broken.

It was true, Suzanne had taken something from the brunette, but she wasn't fragile, and she had no intentions of scaring anyone off. She had no intentions of scaring Arizona off. She didn't feel scared around her anymore, and she knew that they had something. A connection. It was obvious to Callie, and every night she sat and wondered what it would feel like to have the blondes arms wrapped around her. How it would feel to have her soft pink lips on her own, and how it would feel to hold her hand. All of these things common place in a relationship, yet Callie hadn't felt that in at least eighteen months.

How can someone who is engaged, and supposedly in love not feel that with their significant other? How could that person not want to spend the night in front of the TV with the woman they are one day going to marry? And now could that person beat and hurt the person they had chosen to spend their life with? All of these questions had became irrelevant to Callie. She was no longer interested in the answer. She had began to deal with what had been happening, and she was slowly accepting that the things she had been through had no bearing on the type of person she was. Those things were caused by a woman who is clearly troubled, and a woman who Callie never wanted to be in the same room with again.

Brought out of her thoughts by Arizona, Callie shot her gaze back to the baby blues she was quickly realising she could get lost in forever. "I'm sorry, I just have a lot on my mind today."

"Never apologise for thinking, Callie." Arizona smiled. "I'm going to get ready. I won't be gone long."

Gaining a slight nod from the brunette, Arizona grabbed her coffee cup and made her way how the hall. Callie Torres is breaking my freaking heart. Those eyes. God!

Standing in the kitchen, Callie pulled dinner out of the oven and began plating it up. Almost 6pm, she was right on time. "Dinner is ready."

Standing, Arizona zipped up her hoodie and made her way around the couch. "Thank you, Callie. It smells amazing." Taking her plate, the blonde jumped at the sudden hammering on her apartment door. Turning to face the brunette, she found her stood frozen in her spot. Quietly placing her plate back down on the kitchen counter, Arizona moved closer to the other woman.

"Open the fucking door, Callie!"

Placing her hand over the brunettes mouth, Arizona watched as Callie's eyes widened. Realising what she was doing, she knew the other woman was now in panic mode. Not only was her ex at the door, her new friend was covering her mouth and now, Callie had no idea what Arizona's next move was. Anytime her mouth was covered, it was usually to mask the screaming coming from her. "Callie, I'm not going to hurt you, but I need you to trust me. Go to my bedroom, and wait in the closet. I promise I won't hurt you."

Brown eyes glistening, the brunette let out a deep breath as a pale hand was removed from her mouth. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, but I need you to go right now."

"If you don't open this door now, I'm going to kick it in. You've got ten seconds, Callie!"

Watching the taller woman quickly move down the hallway and disappear into her bedroom, Arizona thought about what to do next. She fully expected the other woman to stick by her word of breaking down the door, so she had to think quick. Quietly placing her plate in the bin, she internally chastised herself for ruining it. That looked so fucking good. Glancing around her apartment, she found Callie's cell sitting on the coffee table. Fuck!

Tiptoeing across the hardwood floor, Arizona picked up the brunettes cell and powered it off as she made her way towards the door. Unlocking the deadbolt, Arizona slid another lock open before turning the handle. "Can I he-" Feeling her back connect with the floor beneath her, the blonde groaned. "What the fuck?"

"Where is she?" Green eyes glared down at the woman on the floor.

Getting back up to her feet, Arizona brushed herself off and stepped closer to the redhead who was now well inside her apartment. "Where is who?"

"My fiancé. Where is Callie?"

"I'm sorry but you've come to the wrong place." Arizona stepped closer to the redhead. "And if you touch me again I'll rip your fucking head off."

"Oh is that a threat?" Suzanne raised an eyebrow.

"No." Blonde curls shook as Arizona laughed. "It's a promise."

Smirking, Suzanne looked the blonde up and down. Yes, she was absolutely stunning, but that only fuelled her anger. "Where is she, Arizona?"

"I've told you, she isn't here." Pale shoulders shrugged. "How did you find me?"

"I'm a journalist, honey, I can find anything I want." The redhead stated. "I made sure to make a note of your name when I met you."

"Well, you can leave now. Don't bother coming back, I won't be so welcoming next time." Arizona smiled as she pushed the woman back towards her door.

"Take your hands off of me!"

"Oh, you don't like people putting their hands on you? Maybe you should think about that the next time you raise your own." The blonde scoffed. "Get out of my fucking apartment."

Stepping backwards, green eyes narrowed. She knew Callie had been here, she could smell her, and she would find her, but right now, she would let them think they had won. Deciding to rile the blonde up a little more, she moved in a little closer and brought her lips up to the other woman's ear. "She's a great fuck isn't she?"

Seeing red, Arizona felt her hand connect with Suzanne's face. Hard. "Watch your mouth."

"Oh, hit a nerve have I? You don't love her. No one can love her like me. She's mine, Arizona." Suzanne held onto the side of her face. "You should watch that temper of yours."

"Oh please, have you heard yourself? You couldn't be any less convincing if you tried." Arizona laughed. "Callie is my friend. Nothing more. I know what you have done to her, and I swear if you ever lay a finger on her again I will break every fucking one of them!"

"Wow, full of threats aren't you." Feeling her body being pushed out into the hall, Suzanne grit her teeth. "She will come back to me. Just you watch."

Slamming the door in the other woman's face, Arizona was furious. How fucking dare she come here with that attitude. Locking up, she looked through the hole in the door to find the redhead still standing outside. Stepping away, she glanced back at the locks and felt a slight relief wash over her. That woman is vile.

Moving down the hallway, she found Callie sitting on her bed. Seeing the look on the broken woman's face, she gave her a sad smile. The brunette had warned Arizona that her ex would eventually turn up, and although the blonde believed she would, she had hoped it wouldn't be when they were about to sit down to dinner together. Sitting down beside the brunette, Arizona sighed. "I need you to stay quiet a little longer, Callie. She is still out there."

Dark curls shaking, Callie broke down. "I should go." The brunette didn't have anything left inside right now, and the more she thought about her ex, the more she worried that she would hurt Arizona. That was something she couldn't bare to think about.

Standing up, she straightened herself out and began slowly making her way down the hall. It was clear that the brunette was worried about her ex still being outside, but she couldn't allow Arizona to get involved in this. She had heard everything Suzanne had said, and the way she had spoken to her friend made her stomach turn. "I'll just pack my things up."

Sighing, Arizona removed herself from her spot on the bed and followed the brunette down the hallway. Reaching the door to the guest bedroom, the blonde spoke quietly. "Callie, please don't go."

"I have to. I cannot let you get tangled up in my mess. She will come back, and she will continue to do so until she finds me." Callie gave the Peds surgeon a sad smile. "Thank you for being so wonderful and so welcoming, but I cannot and I will not let her hurt you too."

"She won't hurt me." Arizona stated. "I've told you, I can look after myself, but please, let me look after you too."

"I can't. Once she finds out the truth, she will up her game and one of us will turn up in a body bag. I know what she is like. I know how she plays her games."

"What truth?" The blonde furrowed her brow.

"About my feelings for you." The brunette sighed and turned her back on the other woman.

Stepping closer, she gently placed her hand on Callie's wrist. Feeling her tense up, she quickly removed it. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you, but Callie, I need you to look at me."

Turning, the brunettes tear stained cheeks were breaking Arizona's heart. Shrugging her shoulders, Callie smiled. "It's okay. I didn't mean to tense up, I'm just a little on edge right now."

"What feelings, Callie?"

"I like you, Arizona. A lot. So I have to leave."

"Why do you have to leave?" Blue eyes softened as she fixed her gaze on the brown ones staring back at her. They were still the most beautiful eyes Arizona had ever seen, and now, hearing the words fall from the brunettes mouth, they only made them even more beautiful.

"If she knows I have feelings for you, which she probably already does, she will hit the roof. She will never let me be with anyone else, and I know that's probably not what you want anyway, but still, I will never be happy."

"Callie, you are allowed to like other people. Suzanne can tell you all she wants that you can't, but you can."

"Yeah, maybe in another lifetime I could be happy, but this one? No chance." Callie took a hold of a soft pale hand and tightened her grip. "Thank you for looking out for me, but I should really go."

"You can't go." Blonde curls shook. "If you go, we can't get to know each other better, and I won't be able to ask you out on a date."

Brown eyes widening, Callie smiled. "Y-You would ask me out on a date?"

"Of course I would. I told you I liked you the other day, and that hasn't changed."

"How can we ever date while she is around? She will be checking out all of the local places for me."

"So I will drive us out of town." Pale shoulders shrugged. "I don't care."

"You would do that for me?"

"Too right. The day we spent in the OR together? I wanted to ask you to dinner that night in Joe's, but you told me you had a fiancé so I couldn't." Arizona smiled. "I mean, I'm not expecting you to be okay with anything anytime soon, but when you feel ready, I would really like to take you to dinner."

"I need you to know that I would love nothing more than to go on a date with you, Arizona, but I can't." Brown eyes glistened. "It wouldn't be fair to you. I am a mess, Arizona, and I don't want to put all of my problems on you."

"You are not a mess. Sure, you are dealing with problems right now, but you are not a mess, Callie."

"I am." The brunette gave a sad smile. "What if I lash out or freak out?"

"Then we will deal with that if it happens." Arizona stated as she moved towards the door. "And for the record, if you are a mess….you are the most beautiful mess I have ever seen."

Having decided to stay, Callie was now sat quietly in the living room. It had been a strange couple of hours, but it felt right. She knew that if she left Arizona's apartment, Suzanne would either find her, or she would go back home to her. Not because she loved and missed her, but because she would fear the outcome if she didn't. She believed that Arizona could help her, and now, having openly told the blonde that she liked her, she wondered if it would change things around them. Would Arizona look at her differently? Would she treat her differently? Deciding that she would like to find out, the brunette was now sat waiting for the other woman to join her for the evening. Nothing was going to happen, they both knew that, but the idea of being in the room with Arizona knowing that she would like to date her, gave Callie a little hope. A little hope that maybe, just maybe, she could truly settle down with someone who would love her unconditionally, regardless of her past.

Powering up her cell which Arizona had returned to her once they were sure that Suzanne had left the apartment block, Callie braced herself for any messages that were about to come through. Waiting for the network to hit full signal, the words of her ex came through, message by message on the screen in front of her.

I warned you not to leave the apartment. You've just made things a whole lot worse for yourself!

You worthless bitch. Get home, Callie. NOW!

Do you really think you can stay away from me? You need me!

Groaning at the venomous words flashing up on her screen, Callie swallowed hard. Suzanne was right, Callie was worthless. She knew it, and no matter how many times Arizona told her she wasn't, it would always be there in the back of her mind.

How long have you been fucking that slut from work? She has a temper of her own. Watch yourself!

And finally, the typical message she expected. The message which she knew would come, and the message she would usually crawl back because of.

I'm sorry, Calliope. Please come home, I need you. You know we are good together. Please come home and we will work this out. We can work it out like we have before. I love you, and I know you love me too. No matter what, we will always love each other. Let me prove it to you. Come home, baby.

Shuddering at the use of her full name, Callie closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. She couldn't bare to think about her ex right now, and no matter how hard she tried to get the redhead's face out of her mind, she was there. Burnt into her mind. Hearing the light footsteps of Arizona coming down the hallway. Wiping the tears which had gathered along her jawline, she smiled. "Hi."

"Hey, what's wrong?" The blonde furrowed her brow. "Why are you upset?"

"I made the mistake of powering up my cell." Callie gave her a sad smile. "Big mistake."

"C-Can I see?"

Handing the blonde her cell, she dropped her gaze. "What does she mean? T-That you have a temper?"

Eyes widening, Arizona panicked. She hadn't even thought about the slap she had given the other woman, and now, Suzanne was using it to her advantage. That fucking bitch! "Callie, I-" Blonde curls shook. "I-It's not what you think."

"What does she mean?" Callie raised an eyebrow.

Her palms clammy, Arizona rubbed them down her thighs and swallowed. Wondering if she had messed up before anything had even began, she couldn't get her words out right now. The panic in her blue eyes evident, Callie gave her a sad smile. "Callie, I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"She was just being so horrible, and the way she spoke about you, she really got to me. She actually pushed me to the floor when I opened the door to her, but I got up and brushed it off. I didn't want her to rile me up, but she did. So, I, um, I slapped her."

Brown eyes widening, the brunette couldn't believe what she was hearing. "S-She hurt you?"

"No. She didn't. She tried, but she is wasting her time. I was brought up by a marine, so trust me, I can handle myself." Pale shoulders shrugged. "I never should have retaliated though. I'm sorry. Please don't leave."

"Arizona, it's okay." The brunette removed herself from her spot on the couch. "I'm not scared of you."

"I don't want you to ever be scared of me. The thought of you being worried when you are around me would kill me, Callie. I don't want to hurt you, I want to make you happy."

"You do make me happy, Arizona." Callie smiled. "You have been so helpful, and you have been more of a friend to me than anyone has in some time."

"No, Callie. I don't mean make you happy like that. I mean, I want to make you happy, forever. You are such a wonderful person, and I seen that straight away. You just, you have something about you that intrigues me. I don't know what it is, but I want to figure it out."

"You do?" The brunette furrowed her brow. "I mean, I like you too, but you really want to try this? You really want to, like, date?"

"I do."

"But what do I have that thousands of women out there don't? I'm nothing special, I'm just well, me." Tanned shoulders shrugged.

"You have so much, Callie. So much." Arizona smiled as she took the brunette by the hand. "When you are ready, and when you have decided what you want, I'll be here waiting for your answer. I don't want to push you into anything, and if you don't want to try this then I completely understand, but please, don't not do this because of her. Do what you have to do, for yourself."

"Okay." The brunette gave a slight nod.

Callie knew she wanted to be with Arizona. It was hard not to want the woman standing in front of her. She was caring, and she had the softest hands. They were not hands that could ever hurt another human being, and that gave her a sense of peace. It would take time, but it would be worth it in the end. She knew that. The one thing she could be certain of, was that Arizona Robbins would never intentionally hurt her. Neither physically nor mentally.

Thanks for reading, guys. I look forward to all of your reviews and opinions.