Title: Talk Down the Girl (1/1)
Author: VietAngel
Rating: K
Pairing: Callie/Addison (friendship)

Summary: Addison makes good on her promise.

Author's Note: Ok, so I know I should be posting chapter 15 of Bend and not Break right now…but it's driving me crazy, seriously. To quote the fabulous Callie Torres…I need a break, I need to heal. This? This is your consolation prize, because I'm going to have to make you wait a few more days on chapter 15. This follows Delicate Pieces and How to Disappear Completely, by the way. You might want to read those first.

Callie smiled as she heard the knock on her door. Addison was right on time, just like she promised. Callie flung the door open and they both laughed at the sight of each other in their silly pajamas. Addison gave Callie a big hug, and then followed her over to the bed where they settled in to watch the movie.

Seven moons for seven seas
Won't let them get the better of me
They'll pass me by
Don't pass me by
My seven fears all fear of me
They'll take their leave eventually
Well they can try
They can try

My love was strong
For now it's gone
Eleven stories up
From the second floor
A love not warm
Is a love not done


Darling you let me know


Talk down the girl
Talk down the girl
So little knowledge known to me
So little colour left to see
But black and white
Black and white
A silhouette at seventeen
If they can find what's left of me
For the fire
Burn in the fire


My love was strong
For now it's gone
Eleven stories up
From the second floor
A love not warm
Is a love not done


Talk down the girl
Talk down the girl


There's little more for us to say
You've made your mind up anyway
Another world
Another world
I hate to leave you here this way
But i can't think where you should stay
I miss my girl
I miss my girl


My love was strong
For now it's gone
Eleven stories on
From the second floor
A love not warm
Is a love not done


Darling you let me know


Talk down the girl
Talk down the girl

The Veils – "Talk Down the Girl"

"Wait, I've got to do the doctor thing before we get started with the best friend thing," Addison said, stopping Callie just as she was about to start the DVD. "How are you feeling?"

"Crampy and a little sore," Callie replied honestly.

"How's the bleeding?" Addison asked.

"Fairly light," Callie replied. "I went to medical school too you know."

"I know, but you are my patient. That means I get to pester you and you can't complain," Addison said. She brushed Callie's bangs away from her face and felt her forehead. "No fever. Good. Ok, we can do the friend thing now."

Two hours later…

"I think I'm going to explode…or vomit profusely…I can't decide which," Addison whined.

"Well, make sure you do it outside. I don't want chocolate all over my sheets," Callie replied, laughing.

"Some friend you tuned out to be. Why did you let me eat all of that by myself? What happened to solidarity, sister?" Addison complained.

"It's not my fault you have no self-control," Callie said. "I'm all for solidarity, but my stomach is still a little too sensitive for me to risk gorging myself on chocolate."

"Do you think you can handle some chicken-noodle soup? Alex said you didn't eat while he was here," Addison said.

"Ok, if you two are going to go all Olsen Twins and start ganging up on me, I'm cutting one of you off," Callie replied.

"We're not ganging up on you, we're just worried," Addison explained. "And Jesus woman, I'm offended! The Olsen twins?! You could have at least gone for twins who are less lame. Those two looked like chimps when they were babies. Those twins from Nelson would have been cooler."

"Aww, it's cute that you think Nelson and any variation of the word cool belong in the same sentence," Callie replied…and then she broke out into the first verse of "(Can't Live Without) Your Love and Affection", and Addison cracked instantly.

"Ok, ok! I'm sorry! Just stop! We can be the Olsen twins," Addison chocked out, laughing so hard she could barely breathe.

"Seriously Addie, I appreciate the worry, but I'm ok…really," Callie replied. "If I feel less nauseous tomorrow, I promise to let you take me out to dinner."

Callie sank back into the pillows as a pensive look settled upon her face. Addison knew what she was thinking about George. Callie hadn't really talked about it since it happened. Addison could see the defeat in Callie's eyes and she didn't like it one bit.

"Talk to me Cal," she said as she reached over and grabbed the other woman's hand. Callie sighed and looked over at her with tired eyes and a pout—the same way she did as they sat in the floor after working the Jamie Carr case together. She knew that Addison wouldn't stop pushing until she talked, so she wasn't going to try and put up a fight.

"I feel like a failure, Addie," Callie said softly.

"Why sweetie?" Addison asked, obviously confused.

"My marriage," Callie replied shakily, a few tears escaping her chocolate brown eyes. "I loved him. I really, really loved him and it still wasn't enough to keep him from cheating on me. What did I do wrong?"

Callie's eyes pleaded with her and she almost couldn't stand it. This wasn't the woman who had instantly become her BFF—this woman before her was an entirely different creature. George O'Malley had taken her best friend away and she was going to make sure he paid the price.

"Oh, baby," she said. She pulled Callie into a hug and she began to sob into her shoulder. "You are NOT a failure and don't you ever let me hear you say that again. George is a failure. He failed you and he failed himself. He ruined the best thing that ever happened to him for some silly fantasy."

"He called me curvy, Addie. He said that Izzie was a blonde, stacked, supermodel who would never want him. He thinks I'm fat and I know it's stupid, but it just makes me want to curl up and die," Callie said through hiccups and tears.

"Cal, I know love causes some truly insane things to go through your head, but you can't let him get to you like this. George is an idiot—he's a little boy pretending to be a man. You are absolutely stunning. I'd kill to have your curves and so would a million other women. No sane man would let you slip through his fingers," Addison said as she rubbed soothing circles on Callie's back.

"Does it ever stop hurting?" Callie asked.

"I'm not going to lie to you, it takes time…but eventually, the pain does go away—or at least become bearable," she replied honestly.

Callie sat up and wiped her eyes—contemplated Addison's words. She took a deep breath and sighed as she rested her back against the headboard. She looked over at Addison and smiled. She and Alex had gone above and beyond to try and cheer her up…she made a mental note to repay them somehow.

"Feel better?" Addison said and she reached over to brush Callie's hair from her face. She smiled and it felt like a ton of bricks had just been lifted from her shoulder as Callie smiled back. It was a real, genuine, Callie Torres smile.

"Hey, Addison?" Callie called, putting on her best innocent face…but the way Addison narrowed her eyes at her told her it wasn't working. Her father had always told her that he could always tell she was up to something because she got a devilish glint in her eye. Apparently, he wasn't the only one who could see it.

"Um, yeah?" Addison replied cautiously, not quite liking the look in Callie's eyes. That kind of look in the eyes of a friend usually led to the kind of things that landed you in Cell Block D, sleeping with a shiv under your pillow in the hopes of being able to fight your way out of becoming Big Bertha's prison bitch.

"Did you ever know…" Callie started, with a very serious face "…that you're my hero! And everything I would like to be…"

Callie was a damned fool, of that Addison was sure. As she sat there looking like a deer in headlights, trying desperately not to give in and laugh…she thought that maybe she would prefer taking her chances with Big Bertha to chick flick music.

Fin.