Title: Breaking at the Cracks

Chapter: One - "Who Knew?"

Author: laurenxx3 (iheartcallietorres on ff)

Pairing: Callie/Arizona, Callie/Addison (friendship)

Rating: PG-13 [for now]

Summary: Callie's devastated after Arizona leaves for Africa and now has no job, no place to live and no prospect of either. Addison comes to the rescue and whisks her away to California.

Disclaimer: You know the drill. All characters belong to Shonda Rhimes/ABC. I don't own anything. Any similarities to real life situations/persons are purely coincidental. Not for profit; for entertainment purposes only.

A/N: I have absolutely NO medical knowledge beyond what I see/hear on Grey's Anatomy, so forgive me of any medical-related errors. Also, this is un-beta'd, so all mistakes are mine. Please let me know if you come across any, but I'm pretty OCD about grammar and spelling, so there shouldn't be too many mistakes. As always, comments are much appreciated (and will encourage me to write more fics in the future - *hint, hint*).

A/N 2: This starts off after 7x07 and will NOT follow the events past that, except for maybe a few small things. I will *not* include spoilers for future episodes. Please be aware that Arizona is not present in the first several chapters since I'm more interested in how Callie is coping post-airport scream-fest. I love Arizona to death, but I just don't think I could do the Arizona working in Africa plot justice. She is in Africa, but we won't see her until she comes back to the states. I'm not going to tell you how long that will be, however. ;)

Who Knew?

You took my hand

You showed me how

You promised me

You'd be around

I took your words

And I believed

In everything

You said to me

::~::Pink::~::

[Callie's POV]

"I'm sorry, Torres. I thought you were leaving. I've already filled your position. I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do to help."

The Chief's words rang in my ears as I exited the hospital and walked slowly across the street, heedless of the steady rain that soaked through my clothes. I was already in the elevator by the time I remembered that I no longer lived in this building. We'd sublet the apartment through the end of the lease. I no longer have a place to call home. I am, essentially, homeless. And now I'm jobless, too.

The elevator doors opened on the fifth floor and I just stood there for a moment, debating. I felt numb, both physically and emotionally. Like I was a robot that couldn't feel anything.

The doors began to close, but I stopped them, deciding to see if Mark was home, hoping he'd not ventured out on his day off.

I knocked and waited, but there was no answer. I knocked again. Nothing. I tried one more time, knowing it was useless but needing him to be there. Nothing.

"Fuck." I pressed my forehead against the solid wood door, contemplating my options. I turned so that my back was flush against the door and fished my cell phone out of my coat pocket. I cringed when I noticed that it was sopping wet and turned off. I pressed the power button, hoping for a miracle. Nothing.

"God mother fucking damnit!" I cried out in a moment of complete frustration and threw the useless hunk of plastic against the opposite wall. I hit with a loud thud and pieces ricocheted in three directions-the body of the phone coming to a halt just inches away from my feet, the battery skidding down the hallway towards the elevator and the back cover tumbling to a stop in front of apartment 502. I really hoped whoever now called apartment 502 their home wasn't in the apartment.

I threw my head back against the door, feeling a small pleasure at the physical pain I incurred when I hit my head against the wood. I slowly slid down the smooth surface until I sat on the cold, hard floor with my knees raised to my chest. I wrapped my arms around my knees and buried my face in them. I cried.

I didn't notice anyone approach me until I felt strong arms wrap abound me, pulling me close as they rocked me back and forth. I knew it was Mark from the smell of his cologne. I clutched at him as sobs wracked my entire body.

He didn't say anything for a while. Just held me as I cried. He knew that nothing he said would soothe me right now.

A short while later, once the sobs had slowed and stopped, he stood, forcing me up with him. "Come on," he said. "You're going to catch pneumonia if you don't change out of those wet clothes."

I allowed myself to be led through his apartment and into his bathroom. Mark left me standing in the doorway as he turned on the water, adjusting the temperature before pulling a clean towel out of the linen closet. He placed the towel on the sink and gave me a soft kiss on the forehead. "Get in the shower," he said. "I'll leave you some dry clothes on the bed."

I could only nod as he left the bathroom, closing the door gently behind him. I pulled off my wet clothes, finally realizing how cold I was. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and cringed. There were dark circles around my eyes, which were red, swollen and puffy from all the crying I've been doing. My nose was bright red, as if I were Rudolph's sister. My hair hung in wet, matted tendrils, making me look like a wet dog. I probably smelled like one, too.

I turned away from the depressing sight of myself and stepped under the nearly scalding spray of the water. I let the water cascade over my tired, worn body as I stood there facing the tiled wall, unmoving.

I'm not sure how long I stood there, but the water suddenly started to turn cool. I quickly turned off the taps, uncaring that I hadn't managed to shampoo my hair. Who was I trying to impress anyway, right?

"I made you some tea," Mark said when I entered his living room. I sat on the couch and took the mug he offered. I stared into the cup, still unable to speak.

Mark sat next to me. "I, ah, heard what happened with the Chief," he said. I finally looked up at him. "Derek told me."

I nodded and swallowed. "What am I going to do? I have no job, I'm living in a hotel… again… and… and she left. She left me, Mark. She fucking left me."

"She didn't leave you," Mark tried to tell me. "She left to help the kids in Africa."

I shook my head. "You weren't there, Mark. You didn't hear… you didn't hear what she said." I laughed bitterly. "I should have known she would eventually get tired of me and abandon me. That's what everyone does."

"Callie Torres, you don't mean that," he insisted. "You know she loves you and wouldn't have left for any other reason."

I continued to stare at the mug in my hands. "I want to believe you," I whispered. "I want to believe that she'd stay. But how can I?" I put the mug on the table and stood. "I have to go," I said.

"Callie," Mark said, trying to stop me.

"No, really," I said, stepping out of his reach. "I just need to be alone for a while. I need to figure out what the hell I'm going to do with no job and… and no place to live and… I just need to be alone. Thanks for the clothes. I'll wash them and return them as soon as I can."

I left.

..::*~*~*::..

I sneezed. Coughed. Sneezed again. I blew my nose and waded up the tissue, chucking it at the waste basket. It missed by a foot. I groaned and pulled myself out of bed to retrieve it and toss it into the trashcan. The cold that I'd caught, no doubt from my foray into the rain without protection, perfectly fit my mood.

I'd contacted all the hospitals in the area. No one was hiring an orthopedic attending. No one needed my services.

I was about to crawl back into bed when a knock sounded at the door of my hotel room. I figured it was Mark coming to try and pull me out of my funk. An impossible task, but I gave him credit for trying.

I opened the door and was shocked at who stood on the other side. "Addie?"

The redheaded beauty smirked and shoved past me into the room. "Mark called me," she said as she looked around the untidy hotel room. I haven't really felt like cleaning much in the past two weeks. Addison stood facing me, hands on her hips. "Which you should have done yourself, missy. I would have been here sooner had I known."

I sighed and leaned back against the door as I closed it. "Addison-"

She held up her hand, effectively stopping my protest. "Hear me out," she said. "You're coming back to LA with me. Tonight."

I gave her a quizzical look. "Excuse me? I'm doing what now?"

"You're coming back to LA with me," she repeated. "No arguments. You look like shit, Callie."

"Thank you so much," I said dryly, suddenly self conscious of my ratty PJ bottoms and old college t-shirt.

Addison's gaze softened and she moved to stand in front of me. She put her hands on my shoulders and looked at me closely. "I'm worried about you, Cal," she said, her voice full of concern. "You're pale, you've lost too much weight… It's obvious you're not eating or sleeping enough. And you sound like death. Kinda smell like it too." I glared at her. "You're coming back to LA with me for a few weeks. You're going to stay with Sam and I, get some sun, eat amazing food and enjoy my delightful company. Okay?"

"It doesn't sound like you're giving me much choice."

"I knew you'd be on board!" she said with a smile. "Now, start packing and let's get you checked out. Our flight leaves in two hours."

I started packing, secretly glad she'd come to "rescue" me. "Do I really smell like death?" I asked, self-conscious.

"No, I was just saying that to get you to agree," Addison said, piling clothes into my large suitcase. She smiled reassuringly.

Two hours later, we were sitting next to each other in the first-class cabin on a place LA-bound. I'd never admit it aloud, but I knew that getting out of Seattle was probably the best thing for me at the moment.

"You know, LA hospitals are always looking for talented surgeons…" Addison said in a sing-song voice once we'd taken off.

I rolled my eyes. "And you just so happen to be close friends with the Chief of Staff at one such hospital, right?" I said sarcastically.

Addison's eyes darkened and her expression became somber. "Charlotte," she affirmed with a nod. "But she's isn't exactly in the best frame of mind right now…" She didn't seem to want to discuss it any further, so I let the subject drop. Silence fell over us and I cast my gaze out the window, taking in the cloud tops.

"So, what happened?" Addison finally asked after several minutes. "I got the Mark version, but I want to know your version."

I turned my head to look at her and inhaled deeply, feeling tears in my eyes. I tried to swallow the knot that formed in my throat. "She left me, Addie," I said, my voice so thick with emotion that I could barely get those words out. I couldn't say anything more before I chocked on a sob. I balled up my fist and pressed it to my lips in a vain attempt to staunch my sobs.

"Oh, Callie," Addison said, unbuckling her seatbelt and moving towards me. "Come here." She pushed up the armrest separating us and pulled me into a hug. I was suddenly glad that the first-class cabin was practically empty as I cried into her shoulder.

Addison didn't ask me to elaborate on what had happened for the rest of the flight. I think she realized how much I didn't want to talk about it right then. She knew that in good time, I'd let her in.

Once we landed in LA, Addison drove us to her beachfront house. "Are you sure I can stay with you?" I asked as she pulled into the driveway. "I don't want to impose on you and Sam. I can get a hotel room if-"

"Callie, shut up," Addison said. "I invited you. You're staying here." She shoved open her door and got out of the car. I met her at the trunk of the vehicle.

"Did you at least talk to Sam first?" I asked, nervous. I grabbed my large duffel bag from the trunk, along with my backpack that had been my carryon.

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "It's my house," she said. "If he doesn't like it, he can go to his own house. Which happens to be right next door." She hefted the large suitcase out of the trunk, then grinned at me. "But he's fine with it. He knows how important my friends are to me."

She closed the trunk and started to walk past me into the house, but I stopped her. "Thank you, Addie," I said softly. "For everything."

Addison smiled sadly and pulled me into a hug. "Anything for a friend," she said, pulling back. "Really. Anything you need, just let me know, okay?"

I nodded. "I will."

If someone said three years from now

You'd be long gone

I'd stand up and punch them out

'cause they're all wrong

That last kiss, I'll cherish

Until we meet again

And time makes It harder

I wish I could remember

But I keep your memory

You visit me in my sleep

My darling

Who knew?

::~::Pink::~::