Disclaimer : As per usual, I DO NOT own the show or the characters. That honor belongs to Shonda Rhimes and ABC.

Author's Note : So, have you mental giants who let Brooke Smith slip through your fingers seen the error of your ways yet????? Well, here's another taste of how good it could have been.

Denial 4 – Part 2

____________________________Scene 5_________________________________________

Ten hours later Callie, Meredith, Lexie, and Cristina are in Cristina's apartment in the midst of dressing and preparing for the wedding when suddenly there is a knock at the door.

CRISTINA (slowly, painfully making her way into the living room from the bedroom, covering her face with her hand and groaning with every step) : "Allright! Allright already. I'm coming. I'm coming."

Cristina opens the front door to find a delivery man standing there with a bouquet of flowers and a gift box.

CRISTINA (squinting) : "Yes?"

DELIVERY MAN : "Delivery for Callie Torres, ma'am."

CRISTINA (reaching out for the items) : "I'll take that." (accepting the items as well as a clipboard from the deliveryman and signing) "Hang on a second."

Cristina places the items on the coffee table momentarily, gets a bill from her purse and hands it to the delivery man.

CRISTINA : "That's for you. Thanks."

DELIVERY MAN (smiling as he gratefully accepts the tip) : "Thank you, ma'am."

Christina closes the door and then takes the flowers into the bedroom to Callie who is seated at the vanity applying her make-up.

CRISTINA (handing the items to Callie) : "Callie, these were delivered for you."

CALLIE : "Thanks, Cris."

Callie looks at the red roses and smiles. She doesn't really need to read the card to know who they are from, but she opens the envelope anyway. The card reads,

My Dearest Callie,

I never imagined I'd ever get married. I didn't even think I'd ever want to get married until the first moment that I looked into your eyes. So, here we are on this monumental day in our lives and I can't wait to stand beside you at the altar. Every second without you is agony as I miss you so awfully. I love you beyond measure. See you soon, sweetheart.

Yours always and yours alone,

Erica

Callie's heart swells at Erica's words. She turns her attention to the box and opens it. The box contains a gold locket. Callie opens the locket to find her favorite picture of herself and Erica. Callie's eyes fill with tears. Cristina rushes to her side and puts a comforting arm around her.

CRISTINA : "Aw, Cal. You ok?"

CALLIE (speaking softlythroughher tears) : "I adore that woman."

CRISTINA (smiling) : "I know you do."

CALLIE (looking up to Cristina, excitedly, drying her tears) : "You've got to tell her for me. I can't speak to her, so you have to call her for me and tell her that I adore her, that I love the flowers and the locket, that I miss her and that I can't wait to see her."

CRISTINA (hastily reaching for her cell phone, attempting to calm Callie down) : "Ok. Ok."

Cristina dials Erica's number and rubs her forehead as she waits for the blonde to answer.

CRISTINA : "Erica, hi. It's Cris. Callie wanted me to call you to let you know that she got the flowers and the locket and she loves them and she misses you and..." (uncomfortably) "She…adores you."

CRISTINA (turning back to Callie) : "She adores you, too, and she misses you, too, and she can't wait to see you, either, ok?" (covering the mouthpiece with her hand, aggravated) "There. Are we done now?"

Callie nods. Cristina breathes a sigh of relief.

ERICA : "Ok. We'll see you in a little while, Erica. Bye."

Cristina tosses the phone onto the bed in frustration.

CALLIE (brow furrowed as she looks at Cristina) : "Is it my imagination, or are you grumpier than usual?"

Cristina gives Callie the evil eye as she drops down ungracefully onto the bed.

CALLIE (shrugging) : "I'm just saying. How late were you and the tequila twins up partying with the stripper?"

Cristina covers her face and groans.

CALLIE (nodding knowingly) : "Uh-huh. That's what I thought."

Callie turns back around and goes back to applying her make-up.

Meanwhile, back at Erica's apartment, the blonde heart surgeon is in her bedroom, in her robe, drying her freshly washed hair after her shower as Addison brings her a cup of coffee.

ADDISON (handing the cup over) : "Here you go."

ERICA (gratefully) : "Thanks, Ad."

ADDISON (thoughtfully watching Erica sip her coffee) : "You ready for this, champ?"

ERICA (smiling broadly as she looks intently at Addison) : "So totally ready!"

ADDISON (smiling) : "That's what I want to hear."

The doorbell rings and both women take note.

ADDISON (rushing off to answer the door) : "I got it."

ERICA : "Thanks, Addy."

Minutes later, Addison is escorting Meredith into the bedroom.

ADDISON : "Erica, Meredith is here to see you."

ERICA (smiling at Meredith, continuing to dry her hair) : "Hey, Grey. How's it going?"

MEREDITH (eyes half closed in pain, frowning) : "Hi, Erica. I'm ok. How are you doing on your big day?"

ERICA : "I'm wonderful, but…" (pauses as she regards Meredith closely) "Don't get me wrong, you look beautiful, but you're a little green around the gills there. You ok?"

MEREDITH : "Yeah, I'm ok, but I'll give you guys some advice. A bottle of tequila makes a lousy midnight snack."

Erica and Addison chuckle and Meredith smiles painfully as she holds her head gingerly.

MEREDITH : "Anyway, Callie sent me over here to give you something, Erica."

Meredith produces a jewelry box and a card from her purse and hands them to Erica.

ERICA (smiling broadly) : "My baby sent me this? Aw, she's so sweet."

Erica opens the card and reads.

Erica, mi vida (my life),

Before we met, life had left me lost and broken. I was away from my family and I felt like there was nobody here that understood or even cared how I was feeling or what I was going through. Then you came along and you spent time with me, you listened to me, and you helped me through the most painful experience of my life. (This was one time when you put a shattered heart back together without ever touching a single surgical instrument.) I would never have made it through those days without you and I am eternally grateful to you for that. But as if that were not enough, (God always has a trick up His sleeve) the person who was there for me and became my best friend, unbeknownst to me, was the love of my life lying in wait. So now my heart belongs to you. You're the only person that I can trust to take care of it. You're the only person to whom I want to give it. I love you more than words can possibly express, baby. I'm counting the minutes until I can see you again because the rest of our life begins today.

Yours now and forever.

Callie

Erica's eyes well up with tears. Addison walks over to the blue-eyed blonde and hugs her.

ERICA (shaking her head in wonder, speaking softly) : "What did I ever do to deserve that woman and this much happiness?"

ADDISON (smiling) : "Yeah, she's a keeper." (releasing Erica) "Hey, aren't you going to open the box?"

ERICA (giggling, feeling silly) : "Oh, yeah. I almost forgot."

Erica opens the box to find a gold Rolex watch. Her jaw drops.

ERICA (in shock) : "Holy mother of timepieces!"

ADDISON (matter-of-factly) : "Oh, yeah. I keep forgetting Callie's loaded."

Ok, ok. Enough teasing and stringing you guys along. The next chapter will be the actual wedding itself. Scout's honor. LOL In the meantime, what do you say to a few reviews, huh?