Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I can't claim any ownership of any of the characters from Grey's Anatomy. I just write about them to mend my broken shipping heart.
AN: For a little backstory watch Season 10: Episode 6 from 36:20-38:30 {Callie walks in Joe's and tells Arizona she needs her apartment back; Arizona turns and asks Leah what they did the night of the Gala and Leah tries to initiate Arizona to start flirting again}
"Let's go back to the part where you said I was pretty," Leah said with a smile.
"Haha….that part?" Arizona asked as she took a sip of her drink.
"I…um…I can't do this. I'm sorry, I know we've been having a good time, but there's something that I need to do," Arizona said apologetically as she downed the rest of her drink and made to stand up.
"Wait. Hold on just a second. This past half an hour has been one of the best times that I've had in a while, I thought the feeling was mutual?"
"It was, Murphy. It was. But sitting here flirting with you? It just made me miss my wife more. Excuse my language, but I royally fucked up and now, I have to fix it. You seem to be a great person Murphy, and I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but I love Calliope. And now I have to go and do everything in my power to get her back." With a smile as she laid a couple of bills down on the bar, Arizona determinedly turned on her heel and started towards the door. A goodnight was tossed over her shoulder as she strode out the door and towards her car.
Pulling up to the Shepherd's driveway, Arizona cut off the car's engine and nervously gave herself a once over in the rearview mirror before stepping out of the car. Walking up to the door, she took a couple breaths before ringing the doorbell.
On the other side of the door, Callie was once again sitting on Meredith's couch. The steady flow of tears had finally stopped and were well on their way to drying. The unopened wine bottle she had been cradling had been casted aside, Adele's voice playing through the dock on the table. Upon hearing the doorbell ring, Callie turned down the music, stood up and wiped her eyes. Walking towards the door she tiredly called out to ask who was there.
"It's me, Callie."
Callie's face physically hardening upon hearing the voice, she swung open the door and menacingly stared down at the woman that was standing on the porch.
"What do you want Arizona? The intern should be at the apartment in a few and someone needs to be there to let them in."
"We need to talk and we're going to do it now. I know Meredith and Derek are both at the hospital and Bailey is hosting a playdate for all the kids, so you have the house entirely to yourself. I already called the hospital and found out which intern you were having sent to…collect my things and I called them off. So let me in."
Callie scoffed and looked disbelievingly at the blonde that was staring at her. Her wife who was staring at her. Who cheated. "What in the world makes you think that I want to talk to you Arizona? I think I've made it perfectly clear that I don't."
"Exactly. Don't talk Callie, just listen. Listen to me. Let me in and listen to me."
Callie looked beyond Arizona and out into the night sky as a host emotions flitted across her face. After a second Callie looked as if she had made up her mind and looked back down at Arizona. Opening the door just a little bit more, she rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fine. But you only have 20 minutes before I have to go and pick up the kids."
"Awesome," Arizona said nervously as she walked past Callie and into the living room.
"Okay it's been five minutes Arizona. Why the hell did you drive all the way over here if you were just going to pace about in front of me?"
Callie had been sitting on the couch sipping on the very large glass of wine that she had poured for herself. Knowing that she was going to need it, she set the bottle down beside her feet and crossed her arms, raising her signature eyebrow and looked both questioningly and angrily at the blonde.
Arizona slowed her pacing and turned to look at Callie. She could see the hurt and pain etched across her face and her heart broke knowing that she was the reason for it. Fiddling with her hands, Arizona opened her mouth to speak.
"You were right. It wasn't an accident."
"What?"
"It wasn't an accident. I slept with Lauren Boswell on purpose."
"What the fuck, Arizona? You're telling me you drove all the way out here just to let me know that you fucked another woman on purpose? What the hell is wrong with you?"
"No, no, no, Callie. That's not what I meant to say. Well it was, but that's not how it was supposed to come out. I did sleep with her on purpose but it had nothing to do with you."
"Yes, because when you cheat on your wife it hasn't absolutely nothing to do with her. Incredible, Arizona."
"Callie, I love you. You have been by my side through everything and I know that I owe my life to you. But when Lauren-"
Callie cut in with a grimace, "Could you please stop saying her name? It only makes me want to kill the both of you ten times more."
Arizona sighed and continued, "When…that woman began flirting with me, it made me feel alive again. It made me feel wanted again, like my life wasn't completely over because of my leg. She didn't care, she still saw me as a person. She didn't look at me with pity or grief, she looked at me with interest."
"Get out."
"Wait, no Callie. I'm not finished," Arizona pleaded.
"No, Arizona, GET OUT. How DARE you come here and sit here and try to…and try to justify cheating on me?! HOW DARE YOU?! This isn't about George or Erica, Arizona. This is about me and you. You fucked another woman. In the hospital. Every single day I walk into that building and I feel like stabbing myself because somehow I did something wrong here. I did something so horrible that my wife would CHEAT on me."
"No it wasn't about you Callie-"
"So what? It always come back to that friggen' leg, right?. You want your leg back Arizona? Fine. Find a way to turn back the clocks of time and make it so that I don't amputate it. But just know that in the process you'll be giving up your life. Just know that you'll never see me, or Sophia, or that whore of a girlfriend you have ever again."
Callie's voice had been escalating to the point where when her last word was voiced it echoed around the room. Arizona stood hugging herself, shocked into silence.
"I was there for you Arizona. I stayed by your side, day and night. I washed you, I fed you, and I loved you, despite it all. Despite all of the terrible things you called me and despite all of the terrible things you did to me, I was there. I know I wasn't on that plane, but my life changed just as much as yours. Do you think that I was ever able to be sad and grieve over Mark or Lexie? No. Of course not. I was too busy taking care of you because you decided that not having your leg meant that life wasn't worth living anymore. Me and Sophia didn't matter anymore. You wanted to feel alive again? Then fricken pinch yourself or do a crazy surgery. Don't go and cheat on your wife. That's not how people handle things who are in a committed relationship."
By this point Callie and Arizona were standing face to face, Arizona still hugging herself and Callie looking like she was ready to throw a brick. Callie's face relaxed and she went to go sit back down on the couch.
"I love you, Callie. And you are right. About all of it. About everything. I'm really sorry and I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you believe that. But please, just come home.
"Thanks, Arizona. But how does that change things? Does saying sorry just magically make it all better?"
"It doesn't, Callie. But please just say you'll come home? I need you and I love you and I need you to know that. I wore the red dress Callie. I went to the session by myself that night, and the only thing that I was certain about at the end of it was that I need you and Sophia in my life."
Callie was staring intently at the wine in her glass, trying to hide the few tears that managed to escape from her eyes.
"You're going to have to give me a few days to think about this, okay? How do I know that you'll never do this again? That you'll never cheat on me again?" Callie whispered.
"Because the first thing I thought about when it was over was you and Sophia. And I know it was too late then, but what I felt I never wanted to experience again. And I never want to make you feel this way again. I know that I've already broken part of our vows, but please just give me the chance to abide by some of them? You have, through everything you have, so please just allow me to do the same."
Callie looked thoughtfully at Arizona for a second before setting down her wineglass, standing up and walking towards the door. Sensing that this was her cue to leave, Arizona grabbed her discarded coat and followed behind. Arizona stopped right in front of the open door and turned towards Callie who was keeping it propped open with her body and crossed legs.
"Good…Goodnight, Calliope. I meant everything that I said here tonight. I truly am sorry about everything, and at the very least I hope that one day you'll be able to accept my apology." Turning and walking out the door, Arizona stopped short at the calling of her name from the doorway. Turning back around, she looked expectantly at the source of sound.
"Tomorrow night. 7pm. Dr. Wyatt's office. I'll… go this time. Goodnight, Arizona." With that, Callie closed the door and took in a few gulps of air.
On the other side of the door and a little farther down the steps, Arizona turned once again and started towards her car with a slight smile on her face.
"It could've been so much worse," Arizona thought, just the teeniest bit proud of herself.
