Life Finds A Way

Chapter 1

It was a cold and dreary afternoon in Seattle. The kind of day you much rather sit by the fireplace, watch a movie and enjoy a nice cup of hot chocolate. But as reality and responsibility would have it, you are in the middle of a 14 hour shift at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. Surrounded by colleagues, friends and patients who need your expertise to survive. The clouds linger above in the sky, and it's easy to tell who is easily effected by the dark atmosphere outside.

"Callie, please say something!" Exclaimed Arizona, Callie's estranged wife. " We can still fix this. We can make this work, if we try!"

Looking at the floor, arms crossed, and leaning up against the Supply Room door Callie said "There is no WE anymore, Arizona. You made that perfectly clear when you slept with Lauren. " Callie looked up and glared intensely at Arizona. She shifts her feet, and stands up straight. "I have forgiven you countless times before, but this I'm afraid, crosses the line. I'm not sure I will ever be able to forgive you." Callie turns around, opens the door of the Supply Room and storms out.

Callie loves Arizona, with all her heart, which is why she hasn't disconnected herself emotionally from her. But she's emotionally devastated to a point where she can't even look at Arizona without the feeling of being stabbed in the heart. They have learned to co-parent their daughter Sofia without too many arguments, but the thought of trying to get back together with Arizona made her feel queasy. She has been heart broken too many times by the woman she loves.

Too upset to face any of her patients, Callie walks up to the nurses station and grabs one of her patients chart, and starts to update it. Leaning over the counter, Callie's voluptuous wavy hair curls around her face. Trying to concentrate on the chart, and not on the thousand thoughts taking over her brain, she starts to hear a conversation going on down the corridor. Curious, she glances to her right, in the direction of the voices she was hearing. She saw two women facing each other holding hands. Both were pretty, but one was exceptionally good looking, slender, had a beautiful smile, and was a attending . Callie was entranced by this doctor she has never seen before.

"Thank you for lunch. " The entrancing attending reached her hand up to the woman she was facing and tucked her side bangs behind her ears. " I'll call you tonight" She then gave a smirk to the woman she was speaking to and started to walk toward Callie.

Callie couldn't look away. It was if she was hypnotized by this woman. She immediately wanted to know more about this Doctor. Who was she? And where did she come from?

As the woman walked closer, Callie grew flustered. But she didn't look away. She watched as she came closer and closer, and then it happened. The woman's eyes looked up and met Callie's. Without looking away, the Doctor winked at Callie and gave her a 'come and get me smile' and continued walking away. Callie turned her head in the other direction and watched her leave.

Callie hadn't even noticed that Dr. Wilson had sneaked up to the counter next to her.

" Haha...you alright there partner?" Asked Dr. Wilson. Callie shook her head to get herself out of the daze.

" Yeah I'm fine. Who is that? I haven't seen her before." Callie asked.

" That's Dr. Alyssa Harmon. She transferred from Seattle Presbyterian. She's going to work alongside Arizona. "

" Oh yeah. I remember Arizona telling me, awhile back" Callie looked back to her chart to finish where she left off.

" How are you doing, by the way, with everything?" Asked Dr. Wilson. After Callie had publicly humiliated Arizona and told everyone that Arizona had cheated on her, everyone in the hospital knew.

"I have my good days, and bad. But I think it's becoming more clear that I need to separate myself from Arizona. And that's the hardest part." Callie looked at Jo in a way that Jo could feel the pain she was presenting. Jo gave Callie a soft pat on the back.

" You'll make it through this, one way or another" Jo gave her a reassuring smile and grabbed her chart and walked away.

Chapter 2

"Somebody paged me" Callie said as she walked up to the nurses station on the Pediatric floor.

"Dr. Torres we need a consult in room 202." Said one of the female nurses. Callie started walking down the hall to room 202. Once she was close enough she could see through the blinds of the room. She saw Dr. Karev, Arizona, and the new Dr. Harmon.

Oh my god! Callie thought to herself. After yesterday, she felt embarrassed about the way she stared in awe at Dr. Harmon. And to her surprise, it didn't go unnoticed. Callie took a moment before entering the room.

Here goes nothing, she said to herself as she put a smile on her face.

"Dr. Torres, glad you could join us!" Exclaimed Arizona. Callie gave her a sly smile and focused in on the young patient.

"So who do we have here?" Callie said as she looked at the young boy in the hospital bed.

" This is Timmy. He has a shattered knee cap. Possibly looking at surgery to repair the damage." Said Dr. Karev as he showed Callie the X-ray slides.

"Ouch Timmy! You did a number on your knee! How did you do this?" Asked Callie. She could feel eyes on her. She just didn't know from who.

" Skateboarding." Said Timmy as he squirmed in his bed.

" We'll Timmy, I am going to help you feel better. And you'll be home before you know it" Callie gripped Timmy's hand and squeezed and she gave him her smile that brightens up any room. Callie was still smiling when she caught Dr. Harmon smiling at her. They exchanged brief eye contact before Callie looked away nervously.

" I am going to take a look at his chart, and we will schedule a surgery to correct his knee cap either today or tomorrow." Callie said to his parents standing on the other side of his hospital bed.

Callie grabbed his chart and left the room. Followed by Arizona and Dr. Karev. She set up shop at one of the hallway computers, and began to look up information regarding Timmy. Without paying attention, Dr. Harmon walked out of Timmy's room and walked up behind Callie.

"Dr. Torres, next time you smile at me like that, I expect a warning. " said Dr. Harmon as she walked up to Callie's right side.

" Excuse me?" Confused Callie asked as she looked up, still not looking at Dr. Harmon.

Dr. Harmon leaned in closer to Callie. So close she could smell the delicious perfume she was wearing.

She whispered, " You nearly stopped my heart." Dr. Harmon lingered for a few seconds as she watched the smile come across Callie's face. Dr. Harmon very slightly touched the curve of Callie's back before she walked away into the distance.

The smile on Callie's face lingered. Was she really flirting with me? Callie thought to herself. She almost felt intimated. Before Arizona she only dated one other woman, that didn't exactly go well. She never thought she would ever have to date again after she married Arizona. Well, that didn't go as planned either. But life will find a way to move on. And maybe she should too. Dr. Harmon was different though. She was completely confident in herself. Maybe too confident. But nonetheless, that's what Callie thought was drawing herself to her.

Snap out of it, Callie thought to herself. Focus! Focus! Callie then stopped daydreaming of possibilities, and started to focus on the reality.

Chapter 3

" So we can expect in the next month or so to schedule a benefit gala to raise profits for the hospital in the wake of the last storm." Said Jackson Avery, head of the board.

Dr. Torres, Dr. Robbins, Dr. Grey, And Dr. Shepherd all agreed in unison and shook their heads.

"Great. I'll let Dr. Hunt know and we will get the word out." Said Dr. Avery as he stood up and gathered his paperwork. Everyone started to gather their own paperwork and stand up to leave. Callie was seated across the table from Arizona and they hadn't had any contact other than Arizona dropping off Sofia the other night. At least they were civil for Sofia's sake. If anything, that's all Callie hoped.

Callie looked up to Arizona who was gathering her things and about ready to leave.

"Arizona...wait!" Said Callie. Arizona stopped in her tracks, surprised that Callie was even asking to speak to her. Callie walked over to the other side of the board room table.

" I just want to say, I hope after all of this has run its course, that you and I can at least be civil to each other continuously for Sofia's sake. " said Callie

" So that's it then? You're really giving up on us? " Arizona said as her smile was beginning to fade.

" Arizona I told you, right now I have to do what is right for me. I need to regain my inner self back. Because for awhile there, I lost it." Callie said looking fragile.

" Apparently, I lost YOU." Said Arizona as she gathered the last of her things and left the room.

Callie took a deep breath and left the room as well. Arizona was out of sight.

What am I doing with my life? Callie asked herself. She feels like she is self destructing. Throwing away her marriage to the woman of her dreams.

She hurt you. Callie reminded herself. She broke her wedding vows, not you. Just give it time. What will be, will be.

Still Callie was devastated. It took all of her inner strength and might to break herself free of the pain, and to come to work with a smile on her face. But somehow she was doing it.

She needed a minute to herself to regather her emotions. She walked into the nearest Supply closet and closed the door behind her. She walked up to one of the metal shelves put both hands on the shelf and lowered her head. It was a full few minutes until Callie heard the door to the supply closet open and then close.

" I know you are going through a tough time right now." Callie knew that voice. It was Dr. Harmon! Callie slowly turned around the face her. Dr. Harmon was right in front of the door.

" But I just want you to know that when you are feeling better..." Dr. Harmon walked slowly closer to Callie.

"...there will be a line of people waiting outside your door." Finished Dr. Harmon.

Callie locked eyes with Dr. Harmon. She had beautiful intense eyes. She almost got lost in them.

"Will you be in line?" Asked Callie nervously.

Dr. Harmon inched her way closer to Callie. She brushed the hair off of Callie's right ear and leaned in to whisper.

" I'll be the very first one in line." Dr. Harmon's left hand slowly traveled down the back of Callie's arm all the way down to her hand. Dr. Harmon slowly caressed Callie's hand with hers. Callie smirked and and eyed the beautiful doctor. Dr. Harmon pulled back to see Callie's reaction. Seeing Callie smile was all she needed.

"All you have to do is open your door. I'll be waiting." Said Dr. Harmon with a wink as she opened the door and left.

Callie regained her breath. Every time she had an interaction with Dr. Harmon she felt like she was drawing herself closer and closer to her. She didn't feel like she was ready to let somebody else in her life. But she couldn't help but feel that Dr. Harmon was making her feel better about herself. And It was sexy how hard Dr. Harmon was trying to chase after her.

Maybe only time could tell.

Chapter 4

Callie was wearing a beautiful black dress. Sleeveless on one side. The layers of her hair hair was beautifully wavy. She scanned the ballroom where they were having their fundraising gala. She didn't see too many recognizable faces. Just of her colleagues Meredith, Derrick, and Cristina. She had seem Arizona for a brief moment before she took off into the night. Callie was persistent with mingling with investors to try and raise money for the hospital. So she used her magic smile to engage people in conversation. She was speaking to a older gentleman when it happened. She saw Dr. Harmon in the background, and she almost lost her breath. She was so beautiful. She was wearing a ruby red dress, that hugged her curves in all the right places. She carried herself with grace and confidence. Her smile brightened up the room and unbeknownst to Callie it brightened Callie's heart. She felt a pull towards Dr. Harmon. She had to go talk to her.

"I'm sorry. You'll have to excuse me. I have a important matter I have to attend to." Callie said all but briefly taking her eyes off of Dr. Harmon.

Before she made her way across the ballroom floor, Dr. Harmon noticed Callie across the room and gave her a warm smile. Callie froze in her tracks. Every time their eyes met, it paralyzed her.

Callie inched forward. You can do this, Callie thought to herself. Don't be a coward.

Their eyes didn't leave each other.

When Callie was in ear shot of Dr. Harmon she said, " I don't think we've been formally introduced. "

" You're Dr. Callie Torres, Orthopedic Goddess." Said Dr. Harmon with a smile.

" Haha...Yes that's what they call me. How did you...?" Callie started to ask.

" I ask a lot of questions to the right people. But I'm sure you do too." Said Dr. Harmon

" Yes infact. You're Dr. Harmon." Callie said eyeing her red dress.

" Please call me Alyssa."

" Nice to meet you, Alyssa."

" The pleasure is all mine." Alyssa said. She flirted with her eyes and with the curve of her body. Alyssa knew that she had Callie right where she wanted her. She was confident that Callie would come to her because she was interested. And she can admit, the teasing just made it a slam dunk.

" So some of us are going to Joe's afterward for a bit to celebrate tonight. You are welcome to come with us. That is if you would like to." Asked Alyssa.

"I would love to." Callie stated and smiled.

"Great! I'm glad to hear that. We will be there soon after if you want to just meet there. For now, we've better get back to fundraising, before Jackson gives us the stare down." Alyssa said.

" Yeah you're right, haha. I'll see you later then." Callie winked at Alyssa, turned and walked off.

It was 'Dance Party Friday' at Joe's that night. Callie could hear the beat of music thumping when she walked up to the entrance. Just like the sound of Callie's heart thumping in her chest. She didn't remember the last time she was this nervous. She cautiously opened the door to Joe's as she took a look around.