Title: Suddenly I See(1/2)
Author: Shinara66
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Rating: PG-13
Summary: ** SPOILERISH** Based on the promo pics from 8x06. This is my take on how Callie addresses certain issues.
Disclaimer: All television shows, books, movies, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work and the characters, events, and settings thereof are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.
A/N: So, yes, after 3, nearly 4 months I'm back with a short story. lol. I'm not sure if I'll start writing again or if this was just something I had to get out of my head. The promo pics looked really promising and inspired me to try my hand at writing again. This is a little rough around the edges as I was getting back into the feel of things. I decided to post it as is and take whatever criticism comes with it. ha! I've had several ideas for new stories and even messaged a few of you about one in particular. Just consider this story my way of clearing the cobwebs of my muses inactivity. Also, before FunkyShaz57 asks, yes there will be sexy time in the next chapter. :PP Ahead of time, I'd like to thank everyone who reads and/or comments. This proved more challenging seeing as how I rarely ever wrote canon Calzona. Hope everyone enjoys regardless.
Callie Torres was tired. Beyond tired. Actually, tired was probably an understatement for how she currently felt. The previous night had been much like any other for her the past few months. If she had thought being awakened by her pager was a shock to her sleep cycle, having to adjust to mid-night feedings, diaper changes, and the sounds of a baby monitor throughout the night had taught her otherwise.
That wasn't to say she, in any way, detested being a mother. In fact, she adored it. Loved it. Cherished it.
The problem was that she, also, adored, loved, and cherished her sleep. Having Arizona split the ups and downs with her helped. Callie couldn't get over how much she absolutely loved mommy Arizona. Her wife was amazing with Sofia. The way her eyes would light up when she was around their tiny bundle of joy always managed to catch Callie in the chest.
She couldn't think of a more perfect sight in all the world.
Rolling over, Callie reached for the warm body of her wife. The other thing motherhood was depriving her of, along with her sleep, was quality time with a certain blonde headed peds surgeon. Trying to maintain a three parent relationship with Mark, working around scheduling conflicts at the hospital, and taking care of a tiny, tiny human all came together to form a cosmic design that, effectively, left Callie with very little time to spend with Arizona.
It was frustrating.
But, that was all going to change. Today. Callie had the day off and Arizona was only expected to oversee a quick surgery of Karev's that morning. Mark had agreed to watch Sofia until his shift started later in the evening.
Everything was perfect. Except for the lack of warmth that was supposed to be next to her in bed. Pushing the black and white blinders away from her eyes, Callie scanned the spot meant to be holding her wife. Apart from a light impression in the sheets, there was no sign of the other woman. The clock across from her on the nightstand displayed the time as slightly past ten.
Callie sighed and propped herself up on the pillows that rested against the headboard. Her mind worked sluggishly to clear the fuzz from her sleep addled brain.
"Morning sleepy head!" Arizona's voice cut into the room, suddenly. "I made you breakfast in bed!"
Before Callie could smile at the gesture, or acknowledge how beautiful she thought Arizona looked, another voice came from outside the room.
"Hey, I helped. Don't take all the credit, Robbins."
Mark Sloan entered behind Arizona and made a bee line for the bed.
The bed Callie was currently lying in.
The bed she shared with Arizona.
Her wife.
"Whatever, Sloan. You sliced the strawberries for me. I'm sure Calliope will take heart in that knowledge." Arizona retorted with a small smile on her lips before maneuvering the tray in her hands to the bed.
"I work wonders with the hands that cut those strawberries." Mark said, tossing his feet up on the mattress.
Arizona placed the wooden tray over Callie's outstretched legs and smiled at her ability to balance everything. Taking a seat across from Mark, she picked up a fork and a knife and began listing the items she'd prepared.
"So, as you already know, Mark cut you some fresh strawberries. I made you an omelet and even put this weird green stuff on it that you like. There's also..."
Callie could do nothing but stare at her wife as if she'd grown a third eye. The other woman's words drowned inside her head and became lost in the sea of confusion playing live in front of her. Arizona seemed not to take notice of her state and instead continued to talk and joke with Mark. Occasionally, she would nod at something the man said and then throw her head back in laughter.
Callie felt like she'd awakened in the Twilight Zone. This wasn't how she'd envisioned spending the day with Arizona. It was supposed to be the two of them. Just the two of them. Mark was supposed to be across the hall in his own apartment.
He was not supposed to be in her bed.
He was not supposed to be talking and joking and being all buddy-buddy with her wife.
He was not supposed to be intruding on, what should have been, a special moment between herself and Arizona.
Noticing her lack of a response, Arizona stopped talking to Mark about whether or not there was anything more to Xena and Gabrielle's relationship and turned her attention to her.
"What's the matter? Not hungry?" she asked, brow furrowing slightly.
"Come on, Torres, we worked hard on this for you." Mark put in.
"I worked hard on this. You just sliced the strawberries."
"And they are pretty pleasing to look at, aren't they, Robbins?"
"Why do I get the feeling that you aren't talking about the strawberries, anymore?"
Callie listened to the two of them for another moment before finally speaking up.
"Why?" she asked, looking from one set of blue eyes to another.
"Because he's Mark, Callie. You know he can make anything into a dirty joke." Arizona responded, thinking Callie's question stemmed from her previous repartee with Mark.
"Like you don't find the strawberries pleasing to look at!" the older man cried out, the end of his words turning into a small chuckle.
Callie felt a headache coming on. She could barely get a word in between the two of them going back and forth. All she wanted to do was crawl back under her duvet and cuddle up with her wife.
"That's not what I meant!" she barked, harshly, silencing the two people in bed with her.
Both Arizona and Mark looked sheepish at her outburst. When she was sure she had their attention, she pushed the tray holding her breakfast away from herself and brought her gaze back to Arizona.
"Why did you do all of this?" she asked.
"Well, you have that really big surgery tomorrow and Mark and I thought-"
"Mark and you?"
"Yes, Mark and I thought we would do something special for you. You know, give you a nice, relaxing day before your big day!"
Callie turned her eyes to Mark and noticed the smug grin on his face. Nodding, he scratched at his growing beard before, "No need to thank us. It's what we're here for."
What? Callie couldn't wrap her mind around the sickening idiocy around her. Was the world playing a joke on her? Since when was she married to Mark? She was married to Arizona. Arizona was around to do simple things like breakfast in bed. Not Mark.
He was only around to babysit so Callie could have hot lesbian sex with her wife.
The two of them, together, made Callie's stomach churn. Shaking her head, she glanced back at the food the two of them had prepared for her. Something had to give. Her perfect morning was shaping up to be anything but.
The sound of a pager beeping kept her from voicing her growing concerns.
"Crap." Arizona blurted out as she quickly got off the bed and ran towards the bathroom. "Alex's surgery was bumped up an hour." she called out. "I'm ten minutes late, already. Mark's going to keep you company while I'm gone."
When she reemerged from the bathroom, Callie noticed she'd exchanged her loose green shirt for a more snug blue one.
"Don't worry, Sofia's already been fed and is fast asleep." Mark said in his usual dry tone before resting back on the pillows next to Callie.
"But-"Callie started.
"I'll be back soon."
With that, Arizona turned and left Callie alone with Mark.
In bed.
Their bed.
She could barely fathom all the things that were wrong with that. Arizona had left without even kissing her goodbye. What should have been a few moments alone, between the two of them, had instead turned into a nightmare with Mark being the star of the picture.
Callie stared at the door of her bedroom and slumped her shoulders in defeat.
"So," Mark started, stretching the length of the bed, "wanna give Sofia a little sister or brother while Robbins is out?"
Scoffing, Callie turned an angry set of eyes on the man.
"Mark, get the hell out of my room!"
"Ah, come on. I was only joking. Though, if you wanted to, I wouldn't be opposed."
Fuming now, Callie pulled the pillows out from behind Mark causing the older man's head to hit the headboard.
"On second thought, just get out of my apartment."
"But-"
"Now!"
Callie entered her apartment and smiled when she noticed Arizona in the kitchen, behind the island. After the other woman had left earlier that morning, Callie had decided to take advantage of her free time. The expensive brown leather jacket that hugged her body was the product of her current level of stress.
Arizona, upon noticing her arrival, quickly made her way across the living area.
"Hmm, new jacket?" she smirked, coming to stand in front of Callie.
Instead of answering, Callie grabbed Arizona around the waist and pulled their bodies closer together.
"You like?" she asked in a slightly lower voice than before.
Arizona ran her hands along the inside of the material in question and smoothed them down over the open flaps. She watched Callie's eyes darken at her touch.
"Yeah, I like a lot. You look gorgeous in it."
Pulling her wife tighter against her, Callie smiled and licked her lips.
"I look even better out of it."
Before Arizona could come up with a witty retort, Callie's lips were on hers in a desperate rush. She could feel the need for a different kind of connection in the embrace. Turning her head, she firmly grasped the lapels of Callie's new leather and deepened their kiss. Just as she felt herself being pushed backwards toward the couch, a voice brought her back to reality.
"Alright, I got her back to sleep but she didn't make it easy."
Mark's voice floated across the apartment from Sofia's room. Noticing the display of affection in front of him, Mark stopped and a sly smile lit up his features.
"Now, that's what I'm talking about. So much better than porn."
Callie and Arizona separated and turned in his direction. A dark look of annoyance spread across Callie's face.
"Please, continue. Just pretend I'm not here." Mark pleaded.
"Like that's possible." Callie grumbled, walking away from Arizona and making for Sofia's nursery.
When next she returned to Mark and Arizona, after spending some much needed time with her daughter, Callie was greeted with yet another reason to make her skin crawl. Both Mark and Arizona were laughing and talking while dancing around one another to music, Callie surmised, must have been in their heads.
She watched them both go about their tasks, all the while maintaining their friendly air. Mark, his back facing Callie moved around Arizona and, in passing, placed a hand on the small of her wife's back.
The surge of jealousy that flared inside Callie at the sight was unexpected. She could feel her heart beating more quickly in her chest and a hot sweat seemed to break out all over her body. Jealousy wasn't a new emotion for her. She'd felt it in one form or another all of her life. Whether that jealousy had come about due to ex lovers or other doctors or her sister, Aria, made no difference.
Jealousy was jealousy. It was the same no matter how it chose to present itself.
Or so Callie had thought.
The emotion pumping through her veins was unlike anything she'd ever felt. She thought back over her relationship with Arizona and wondered if she'd ever felt jealousy where her wife was concerned.
The answer was no. Callie had never worried about anyone else hitting on Arizona or touching her or, in any way, flirting with her. It wasn't that she thought her wife unattractive or undesirable. Quite the opposite.
Somehow, though, in dating a woman Callie had missed the part that stated she could feel jealousy just as easily. Arizona had always made it clear that she was crazy about her. About them. That had given Callie a sense of security and so she'd never worried about the reverse side of that equation.
When Africa had happened and Arizona had returned, Callie had been too caught up in guarding her heart and dealing with being pregnant to notice how Arizona had become very familiar with jealousy
Jealousy over Mark.
What she couldn't see before was blindingly clear and evident to her now. Mark's hands on Arizona's body, however friendly, made Callie's teeth grind against each other. Sensing her presence, both of the other people in the apartment turned around and caught her flustered stance.
"The woman of the hour." Mark said, resting his hands on the counter top.
Arizona came to stand next to him and their closeness only heightened Callie's immense and invidious feelings. Mark, oblivious as to what the glower on his friend's face alluded to, leaned over and removed the lid of a sterling silver pot.
"We made your favorite." he said, looking pleased with himself. "Don't ya think you kind of lucked out with me and Robbins here?"
Arizona smiled wildly, trying to diffuse the tension she could see in the set of Callie's shoulders.
"Yay!" she said, a tad bit too much perk going into the word.
Callie sighed and walked over to the couch. Shrugging out of her jacket, she tossed the garment aside and rolled up her sleeves.
"This is insane. It's insane and it's kind of gross in a weird polygamy kind of way." she started, moving to stand in front of Mark and Arizona.
"I don't know when the two of you decided to become the newer version of Cristina and Meredith, but it's annoying and it needs to stop."
Mark opened his mouth to say something, but was unsure how to handle the obvious vehemency lacing his best friend's words.
"Mark, your apartment is across the hall. You agreed to watch Sofia for us so that we could spend some time together"
"We are spending time together." Mark said.
"Not us, you idiot! Us!" she said, indicating herself and Arizona.
"Oh."
"Yeah."
Arizona said nothing. She kept her eyes locked on Callie and tried to exude a sense of perplexity.
"So, I'm just gonna head to the hospital early. I guess."
Mark walked around the island and sidestepped Callie's very agitated form. Her arms, crossed over her chest, spoke of her aggravated mentality. As Mark reached the door, he turned his head and looked back over his shoulder. Arizona was still standing in the kitchen looking unsure while Callie refused to turn around and watch him depart.
Opening the door, he sighed his confusion and left his friends' apartment.
The silence lingered a moment longer. Callie inhaled deeply and tried to release her feelings in the heavy exhale. Arizona shuffled her feet and opened her mouth to speak but the sound of a crying infant kept her from doing so.
"Really?" Callie asked, rhetorically, looking up at the ceiling. A humorous and very wry chuckle left her mouth before she turned and made her way to Sofia's room.
The following day proved to be one of the most challenging of her career. Her surgery had been more complex and time consuming than she'd originally thought. Several times during, she'd thought the entire thing a lesson in frivolity. After an extra two hours in the E.R, Callie was finally ready to head home. Though it was late, she was hoping for a few moments alone with Arizona. If Callie could just get one hour, alone, with her wife, she knew it would work wonders on her frowny mood.
Maybe she would cook for the two of them. Arizona's dinner for her the night before had nearly gone to ruin after her verbal spat with Mark. Perhaps she could repay her wife by preparing something light for the two of them.
When she entered her apartment, she was surprised to find it empty. There was no smiling blonde to greet her or even the cooing sounds of a newborn. The silence that hung on the air was stifling to Callie. Walking to her bedroom, she quickly changed into something more comfortable and walked to the kitchen.
As she was pulling out a few glasses for herself and Arizona, she noticed a note on the counter.
Calliope,
Went to Mark's to sit with Sofia. Text me when you get home.
Love, Arizona.
Callie immediately felt conflicting emotions tugging at her insides. On one hand, she found it endearing and adorable that her wife chose to spend her evening looking after their daughter even though it was Mark's weekend. On the other hand, she felt the familiar pang of jealousy well up inside her knowing that, by extension, Arizona was also spending extra time with Mark.
When she'd expressed a desire for the two of them to become friends, this wasn't exactly what she'd meant. She'd wanted the two of them to be civil around each other instead of constantly bickering and acting childish. She'd wanted everyone to be happy and to be able to get along.
Now that she had her wish, Callie found that it wasn't turning out to be anything like she'd hoped. Arizona had lunch with Mark nearly everyday, often times to the exclusion of Callie herself! The blonde invited Mark over for breakfast and dinner. The two blue eyed surgeons talked about their favorite celebrities, shared drinks at The Emerald Bar after their shifts, played cards in the Attendings Lounge and, now, were serving Callie breakfast in bed.
Together.
As a unit.
It was perverse to Callie.
Didn't the two of them know how to draw the line on where their friendship together ended and where her relationship with Arizona began? She was married for crying out loud! She was entitled to spending uninterrupted time alone with her wife! Time that didn't include Mark Sloan.
Opening the refrigerator, Callie grabbed the six pack she'd picked up a few days before and placed it on the island top. Cooking would calm her nerves. She'd prepare a salad and maybe a quick chicken dish before texting Arizona. The night could still be salvaged.
She had to believe that.
"Hey!" Arizona called, entering her apartment and eying Callie in the kitchen.
"Hey, baby. I thought I would cook for you and we could-"
"Great. Food. I'm starving. What's for dinner?" Mark asked, coming in behind Arizona and shutting the door.
Callie watched him place the carrier that held their daughter on the couch. Sofia scrunched her face up and waved her hands in front of her face before yawning widely. The innocence in the act softened Callie's face for moment. Arizona smiled at noticing the expression.
"You didn't have to cook, Calliope."
"I wanted to. It's nothing fancy." the Latina said, returning her attention to Arizona. "I wanted us to have a nice night in." she continued, her words softer and spoken in a lower voice.
Mark walked around the two of them and reached for a beer sitting on the top of the island.
"Fancy or not. It's just what I needed." he said, unscrewing the cap on his drink and taking a long pull from it.
Callie was at her wits end. Did Mark not notice his own behavior? Did he honestly have no idea that he was intruding on her relationship with Arizona? A partnership, a marriage, consisted of two people.
Two.
Not three.
What made him, or hell even Arizona, think that she wanted him around every second of every day? They worked together, lived in the same apartment building, and shared a child. She didn't need any more Mark Sloan in her life. What she did need was more Arizona Robbins. Try as she might, she couldn't seem to catch even a nanosecond of time alone with her wife lately. Every time she thought the two of them would be able to have a lazy morning in bed or a quiet dinner at home, Mark was there to kill the mood and infuriate her all the more.
Enough was enough. She couldn't take it anymore.
"Mark, what the hell are you doing here? You're supposed to be across the hall, spending time with your daughter."
Mark looked at Arizona who had come to stand next time him across from Callie.
"Well, I was. I mean, I am. Robbins came over and we watched the game and then she invited me over for dinner. Now, I'm spending time with our daughter and my two baby mamas."
Callie bit her lip and turned her gaze on her wife.
"You invited him over?"
The blonde swallowed her rising panic and shrugged at the taller woman.
"What's the big deal? He is our baby's father and he seemed lonely. I thought you'd like to have a nice family dinner."
Callie clasped her hands in front of herself and took a deep breath. She could feel her jaw tighten at Arizona's words.
Family.
She and Mark and Arizona shared a child together. They were all friends. That didn't make them a family. She supposed, in a way, they were a modern family for Sofia. That was the extent of her view on that subject. When she thought of her family, she thought her daughter and her wife. Not Mark.
Mark was her friend, the father of her child. That didn't make him her family. That didn't entitle him to family dinners every night or wake up calls with breakfast or monopolizing her wife's time. She'd had a one night stand with the man and the entire time she'd thought of Arizona! She and Mark were not in love, had never been in love, and were never going to be in love.
Callie was in love with Arizona. Even when she'd been hurt and lost, she'd always loved the other woman. Her life and her family were with Arizona. Not Mark. The occasional dinner or lunch in the cafeteria or movie night were fine with Callie. She did value Mark's friendship.
Having to fight for a moment alone with Arizona was not okay. She and the smaller woman had not had minute to themselves the last month and a half. She missed cozy cuddles on the couch and warm snuggles in their bed. She missed spontaneous kisses and heated make out sessions. Most of all, she missed sex with her wife. It wasn't just the physical release that she craved, it was the emotional connection that seemed to always leave her breathless and in awe.
Mark always being around was interfering with her life in more ways than one. It was time to put her foot down on her wife's and best friend's budding friendship.
"Okay..."she said slowly trying to calm her nerves. "Let's get one thing straight. A family dinner, Arizona, is you and me."
Mark looked offended. "Hey, that's harsh Cal."
"No, it's not Mark. It's the truth. You and I are friends who had a lonely night of pity sex."
Arizona scrunched her face up but otherwise remained silent.
"Pity sex doesn't mean we're a family. We're friends. Friends who happened to not use protection because we were both drunk and missing the people we were in love with. We're friends who happened to become pregnant as a result of that night."
Placing her hands flat on the counter in front of her, Callie sighed and looked from Mark to Arizona.
"You are my family. You, Arizona Robbins. You are who I married. You are the person who made me feel good about myself. You're the person who gave up her dream to be a part of mine. You're my family. You and Sofia."
Arizona smiled. "You're my dream, Calliope. It's always been you. I thought...I just...well, didn't you want me to give Mark a chance?
"Um, Mark is standing in the room, ya know?" the man said raising his eyebrows.
Callie ignored him. "Yes, Arizona, I did. I just didn't know that, in so doing, I'd have to fight for a moment alone with you."
A knowing smile spread across Arizona's face. Mark held up a hand and stopped his two friends from going any farther.
"Now, wait a minute. My being here has never been a problem. I've always come over for breakfast and kicked it with you guys after work. Hell, when you were pregnant, I practically lived here! What's the problem all of a sudden? That time of the month?"
Callie pursed her lips and stepped away from the counter.
"You know what, Mark? You need to get a life. I can't be your everything. I'm your friend and Sofia's mother. That's all you get from me. You always being here was a problem. I was just too blind to see it. We aren't the same people we were a few years ago. Or, at the very least, I'm not. I'm married now, Mark. And, it's not a Vegas drunken fiasco like it was with George. We can't keep being each other's security blanket because I don't need you to do that for me. Not anymore. I have Arizona for that."
Mark gave her a hard and stern look. His jaw was jumping and the muscles in his throat were evident. Callie pointing out his flaws and shortcomings hurt. Hearing that his friend didn't need him in any given capacity was just salt on the wound.
"So, now I'm not needed? After everything we've been through? Is that it?"
Sighing, Callie ran a hand through her hair and met his eyes. "That's not what I'm saying, Mark. You know I need you. As a friend. As Sofia's father. What I also need is to be able to spend time with my wife without you constantly being around. You're smothering me."
Arizona, having been quiet all this time, interjected in an attempt to quell the brewing storm.
"Calliope, what do you want from us? I'm just trying to do what you asked me to. You've made it pretty clear that Mark comes with the package."
"Again, Mark is right here."
"Shut up, Mark." both women snapped in unison.
Callie sighed again and shook her head.
"I wanted the two of you to be civil! I wanted to be able to walk through the hospital without you both going at the other's throats! I didn't ask for you to make me breakfast in bed with Mark."
"I don't see what the problem is." Mark spoke over his friend. "I'm the father and you're my best friend. Robbins and I have come to an understanding and we both take care of you. What's the issue?"
Past being fed up with Mark's imbecilic tendencies, Callie squared her shoulders and gave him an even glare. Her eyes were dark and her stance rigid.
"I don't need you to take care of me! I don't want you to. Yes, you're the father. God, would you stop saying that? That doesn't mean you have to live in my ass every day! Be my friend, Mark. Be a good father to our daughter. Hell, be friendly with my wife but don't live your life through mine!"
Silence met the end of her rant. Both Mark and Arizona stared at her with wide eyes.
"You know what?" Callie continued, "I can't do this anymore tonight. Mark, go home. Call Lexie. Spend time with Sofia. I don't care. Just leave. Arizona?" The blonde looked up at her with a perplexed expression. "You can spend the rest of the night with me or you can go back with Mark and watch tv."
With that, the tall Latina turned around and headed towards her room. The door closing did little to shake the baffled looks from Mark and Arizona's faces.