This is my first stab at fanfic so be gentle…but be honest. Hope you enjoy!
Tan fingers tightened their grip around a beautiful bouquet of flowers. The flowers were various shades of blue, some close to matching the color of Arizona's eyes.
It had been a month since Callie and Penny officially broke up. It was a pretty nasty falling out – Penny wanted to stand on her own two feet and kicked her girlfriend to the curb after Callie's several attempts to stand up for her. It wasn't that Callie thought Penny couldn't defend herself but rather she naturally stood up for the underdogs. She didn't tolerate bullying. And if she was being honest with herself, Callie knew deep down that it was never going to work between her and Penny. There was too much baggage, too much hurt for a new relationship to survive. This was just the excuse the two were using to rationalize the break up.
There was another reason – a beautiful, blonde reason – Callie couldn't stay with Penny. After a month of longing looks, lingering touches, and polite conversation with the object of her affection, she was ready to fight for the heart of her daughter's other mother and the love of her life.
Callie drew in a deep breath before bringing her fist up to knock several times on the door. It felt weird to be knocking on Arizona's door, a door to a place that was just Arizona's and not a door to a home they shared. She was brought out of her thoughts when an unfamiliar yet attractive brunette in nothing but a bathrobe swung the door open.
"Can I help you?" the woman inquired.
"Oh, I'm sorry I must have the wrong apartment number," Callie said as she glanced at her phone to see if she was indeed at the address she had received from April. "I was looking for Arizona Robbins. Do you know if she lives around here?"
"Oh no, you're in the right place! Arizona's in the shower but if those are for her I can take them from you," the stranger reached out to take the bouquet, "they are absolutely gorgeous!"
Callie felt her world stop turning. Suddenly the air was thick and it was hard to breathe. She felt as if she just suffered a brutal blow to the chest and the wind got knocked out of her. She hadn't expected this. Of all the scenarios she had run through her head of how this night would go, this was not one of them. Why hadn't she anticipated this though? She had tried to move on with Penny, so it's only natural a woman as gorgeous and incredible as Arizona would move on as well. Arizona deserved to be loved and to be happy, of course, but Callie just hadn't thought she would be too late. She really thought her and the blonde still had a chance.
The stranger in the doorway cleared her throat, and Callie jumped and realized she hadn't responded. She somehow managed to find her voice,
"Uh, oh yeah. Thanks I appreciate it. Have a nice night."
The stranger gave Callie an odd look, but ultimately offered a soft smile before she shut the door. She shut the actual door and the metaphorical door. Her and Arizona were over before they even began again. But Callie knew she didn't have it in her to try to move on again, she couldn't imagine loving another woman again besides her Arizona.
As Callie leaned against the apartment door wondering what her next move would be, on the other side of the door and down a hallway was Arizona towel drying her hair after taking a long, hot shower to wipe away the day's stress. Her old college roommate, Brenna, had called out of the blue to ask if she could shack up with Arizona for the weekend while in town for a wedding. Arizona didn't mind considering she knew Brenna didn't have much money to spend on a hotel and the two used to be great friends.
Arizona finished putting on her night cream and was on her way to bed when a large, blue bundle on a side table caught her attention. She called out to her friend,
"Brenna, where did these flowers come from?"
The woman looked up from her laptop and over to where Arizona was standing. "Oh, duh, I forgot to tell you. Some chick stopped by wanting to give those to you. I thought you said you didn't have a girl in your life!"
Arizona was now thoroughly confused. "I don't. Who brought them?"
"She didn't say her name. She was stunning though. Big brown eyes, tan skin, tall, bla-"
Arizona cut her old roommate off, "CALLIE?"
"Callie as in your ex wife Callie?" Arizona had given Brenna a brief overview of her life the last few years over dinner, so she was aware of her failed marriage. "Now that you mention it, her eyes did look a lot like Sofia's."
Arizona's eyes went wide in shock. Was it actually possible that after all this time Callie finally wanted to get back together? The thought made her heart start to race and she felt a warmth inside her she hadn't felt in a long time. There was hope. Hope was alive.
Brenna brought her out of her thoughts. "She looked super upset when I answered the door though, she could hardly look me in the eye. I took the flowers and she just kind of sulked away."
Then, Arizona realized what had happened. Brenna, an attractive woman, had answered her door, in a bathrobe…
"Oh god…OH GOD! She thinks that we," Arizona motioned between herself and her friend, "are together!"
"Oh gross. I love you Robbins but I am definitely not into vag."
Of course this would happen to her. Callie was finally ready to try again and it couldn't be easy. Something just had to go wrong, because it was her and Callie and some evil little force in the universe played with their relationship for entertainment.
"I need to find her. Now." Arizona spat out in a panicked voice. She began to put on her sneakers when she realized she was in tiny gym shorts that hardly covered her ass cheeks and a faded grey Johns Hopkins t-shirt with a rip in the armpit. But there was no time to change. All rationale went out the window when it came to Callie. After all this time she was still so crazy in love with the Latina, so there was no time to waste. The longer she let Callie think she had moved on and was sleeping around the more her heart ached and the more she feared for their future. So she grabbed a long black cardigan from the back of a chair, threw it around her shoulders, grabbed her cell phone and keys, and headed out to get her Calliope back.
As soon as she opened the main door of her apartment complex to head to her car, Arizona was blasted by a nasty cold Seattle wind. Of course, tonight of all nights, Seattle decided to have its first snowfall. Arizona knew traffic would be terrible considering the weather and she had no time to lose. The pediatric surgeon began to run as fast as her prosthetic would let her. If she still knew Callie as well as she used to, there was only one place she would want to be after a night like tonight and it was only a few blocks away.
"I'm coming for you Callie," Arizona whispered while fighting snowflakes out of her eyes.
Arizona had correctly guessed that Callie was indeed drinking her worries away at Joe's bar. She couldn't stand to go back to her empty apartment and endure the deafening quiet. Sofia was having a sleepover with Zola, so she had no precious little girl to go home and cuddle up to. So instead she decided to cuddle up to a bottle of tequila.
"And you know, it isn't like I expected her to wait around for me. I was in a relationship for a while with this chick named Penny, and she was a dime." Callie managed to get out as she shook with laughter and banged her fist against the bar top. Callie always thought of herself as funny, but when drunk she thought she was hysterical. The bartender gave her a pity smile and slapped a hand on her back.
"I DON'T NEED YOUR PITY JOE," Callie angrily slurred.
The young bartender rolled his eyes as he cleaned various types of glasses. "My name's not Joe. But if you tip me enough it can be."
Callie shook a $20 and stuffed it in faux-Joe's shirt pocket before resting her head against the dirty wooden frame of the bar. She was definitely drunker than she had been in a while, but who could blame her? She had put her heart on the line and it was once again crushed into a thousand pieces. Again Calliope Torres wore her heart on her sleeve and she paid the price. She could almost hear Arizona calling out to her, probably mocking her. She could hear Arizona calling her name, wait, no really, she could hear her calling her name.
Callie lifted her head and immediately knew she had drank some bad tequila or something, because now she was hallucinating. There was no way her ex-wife was standing before her, shivering, wearing only booty shorts, a t-shirt, cardigan, and sneakers.
"Arizona what the hell are – "
"I'm not sleeping with her!" Arizona exclaimed a bit too loudly. She had already drawn some attention from bar patrons due to her outfit and now because of her yelling. "I know what you're thinking Calliope, but I can explain."
Callie chuckled to herself and threw back the freshly poured shot in front of her and said, "You don't have to explain anything. You have every right to move on and be happy. I want to see you happy. I obviously want to be the one making you happy but when all is said and done, the most important thing is that you are happy and loved."
Arizona moved in closer and stood between Callie's legs as she sat on the bar stool. It was the closest they had been in months and Arizona felt her blood pressure spike immediately when she caught a whiff of a smell that could only be described as pure Callie. She couldn't resist reaching out to caress her face and thread her fingers through beautiful raven hair. Callie closed her eyes at the contact and sighed in pure bliss.
"Callie," Arizona began, "that woman that answered the door is my old college roommate Brenna. She's crashing with me for a few days for a wedding before returning home to her husband. She has assured me she is not into my vajayjay."
Callie giggled like a ten year old boy hearing the term for the very first time. Then she began to softly sing to herself,
"Vaginaaa…va va vagina." She finished with a hiccup.
Arizona flashed a dimpled smile while shaking her head. Yup, Callie was definitely very drunk. She rested her palm against Callie's cheek before continuing,
"I haven't moved on. I've tried, I went to a bar and did my best to flirt and I almost took someone home. But I couldn't. She wasn't you, no one will ever be you. I don't want anyone other than you. I want you and me in a our home with our daughter, laughing and dancing. I want to work our problems out and grow together. I want you to be my last Callie, I want you to be my finale. There is no one after you. I want you and I'm willing to fight for you."
Callie could only smile in response as she felt the pieces of her heart be put back together. She placed her hand on top of Arizona's hand on her cheek and dreamily replied, "You don't have to fight for me, you've already got me. You and me, no running this time. We're together for good."
As good as Arizona felt in that moment, a look of concern etched her face when she thought about having to tell their friends and coworkers they were back together. Well, mostly one coworker in particular.
"And we don't have to tell people right away if you're worried about Penny or what people might think."
"Arizona, I'm not hiding you. I would scream my love for you from the mountaintops if I could! From the rooftops! From the..." Callie looked down at her drink as a seemingly innocent grin spreads across her face, "...bar tops."
Arizona immediately recognized that grin and devilish look in her eyes.
"You wouldn't dare."
Smirking, Callie stretched down to her feet and pulled off her heels. She held the pumps in one hand and placed her free hand on the bar counter to steady herself as she climbed up onto the bar stool. In that moment, the tequila decided to make itself present and Callie began to sway and lose her balance.
"CALLIOPE," Arizona panicked, "You get down from there this instant."
Callie darted her eyes to the blonde, daring her to try to stop her. After she regained her balance, the tipsy ortho goddess stepped up onto the bar counter.
A woman as gorgeous as Callie on a bar top is bound to get everyone's attention, but just in case there was any doubt that everyone in the room wasn't about to hear her announcement, Callie cupped her hands and exclaimed,
"EXCUUUUUSE ME EVERYBODY."
Every soul in that bar was now focused on the crazy intoxicated woman who just shouted at them, except for a few interns still being rowdy over by the dartboard. Callie eyed them and brought two fingers up to her lips, Arizona's eyes going wide with horror as a shrill whistle pierced the air. The interns immediately looked up and Callie continued, swaying her hips as she walked up and down the length of the bar.
"WHEN SOMEONE ASKS FOR EVERYONE'S ATTENTION, THAT INCLUDES YOU INTERNS. YOU'RE ALL ON SCUT FOR A MONTH."
The bar erupted in laughter as the interns' faces turned more red than the pair of heels in Callie's hand. Arizona couldn't help but laugh with them and shake her head. This was the woman she fell in love with. Well, a drunker version to say the least. But this Callie – the confident, stubborn, passionate, fiery Callie – was the woman she kissed in this very bar so many years ago. While they were very different people now from who they were that first night, they were still the same at their cores. They were still the same in all the important ways that give a person an identity. Arizona was still very much in love with her Calliope, and she knew the feeling was mutual.
"This lady," Callie slurred, "this hot, HOT bombshell of a woman, is the greatest love of my life. She's my one. Ya know what I mean?" She squinted as she looked past the lights into the crowd of bar patrons nodding their heads.
"I believe there is one other soul for everyone on this Earth. There is one person that was made just for you. To help you through hard times, give you a reality check when you need it, and to make you feel valued and loved. And she is my one. She is my great adventure. She is my joy and my sun and she is everything."
The crowd collectively sighed and "awwwww"'d, and Arizona used the back of her hand to wipe the tear falling from her eye. She was thankful she hadn't had time to put on make up because she was sure she'd look like a raccoon in a few minutes.
"AND SHE'S NOT SLEEPING WITH HER COLLEGE ROOMMATE."
The bar erupted in hoots and hollers with the occasional catcall, making Arizona's face burn with a deep blush. She buried her head in her hands and shook with laughter, and when she looked up she saw Callie holding out a hand to pull her up. Arizona hesitated at first, but she had never been able to resist that signature pout on Callie or their daughter. Those brown eyes have an uncanny ability to suck you in.
"Screw it," Arizona huffed as she climbed up onto the beer stained wooden surface, proudly standing next to her one.
"And if she'll let me," Callie started as she brought the hand intertwined with hers to her lips for a soft peck, "I'd like to take her on a date and get to know her all over again."
Arizona pretended to think about it for a few seconds, scrunching up her lips and tapping a finger on her chin. She couldn't resist playing to the crowd when she turned to them and asked, "What do you guys think? Should I say yes?"
Even the most seemingly tough and hardass bar patrons were now into it, hollering "SAY YES" and "KISS HER." Faux-Joe was behind the bar laughing at the antics and the interns were standing on chairs in the corner recording the scene on their phones.
Arizona decided to continue with the dramatic theme they had set. She slipped an arm around her love's waist for support before giving her shoulders a shove, urging Callie to dip in her arms, like all the best romantic movie scenes. The blonde then leaned down and hovered inches above Callie's lips before whispering, "I never stopped loving you," and finally connecting their lips.
The audience went absolutely wild, but the pair couldn't hear them. They couldn't hear the whistles or hollers or applause because they were no longer at the bar. They were in another world, a place only the two of them knew about. Their lips melded together perfectly, as they always had. Callie softly stroked a thumb over Arizona's cheek, something Arizona never knew she could miss so much. Eventually they had to come back to Earth and their lips parted with a pop.
"Alright lovebirds, I'm happy for ya, but get off my bar! I have orders to fill!" faux-Joe half-joked, offering a hand to help the women get down safely. Callie looked out to her adoring fans and took a bow before practically falling into faux-Joe's arms. "And no more tequila for you."
Callie pinched the bartender's cheek as her feet found the ground and she felt Arizona link her arm with her own as the blonde said, "Let's get you home. You're in for one rough morning, I really hope you don't have any early surgeries scheduled."
Callie eyed Arizona suspiciously and pulled her impossibly closer,
"You're coming with me. I'm not letting you go home to that no good roommate of yours. And I don't want to be without you for one more second."
"Fine," Arizona huffed with pretend annoyance, "but no funny business. Straight to sleep for you."
"Oh we'll see about that." Callie went to open the door of the bar when she looked down and caught a glimpse of the blonde's bare legs.
"By the way…what the hell are you wearing?"
Arizona looked down at her clothing choices and laughed. For the first time in a long time, she truly laughed from her soul. She responded by simply leaning up on her toes and placing a soft kiss on Callie's cheek.
"I love you."
"You do?"
"I do."
"I love you, too."