AN: None of these characters belong to me; all credit goes to Shonda for that.
Sorry it's taken so long to update (and yes, I realise I stated the last chapter like this, too), I didn't really like the last chapter, so it's taken me a while to get going again.
Reviews, again, are Very welcome :)
Oh, also, thank you to anyone who is still reading, I'm feeling utterly overwhelmed by the numbers of people who have read and like it. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy :3
"Owen, have you seen Teds?" Arizona asked as she walked into the overcrowded staffroom.
Owen was about to reply when Arizona felt a pair of hands clamp down on her shoulders and quickly scoot down to tickle her sides.
"I think that should answer your question" Owen chuckled, before walking to join Addison at a table across the room.
"Why does he keep walking away whenever I'm around?" Teddy asked, "I feel like I've done something to offend him, but I cannot think of a single thing!"
Teddy was unfortunately completely oblivious to the feelings Owen had been harbouring for her since she first appeared at St. Michael's College six years ago, but Arizona wasn't going to try and interfere. After everything that had happened it would just be cruel to both her and Teddy; Tim's death was still very fresh, despite having occurred so long ago.
"I did the 'get-to-know-you' exercise with my class today," Arizona said to stop Teddy's ranting, "and I have to say; they look like they're going to be an incredible class."
"But you have, like, Alex Karev and Cristina Yang in that class don't you? Aren't they meant to be all impossible to control?"
"Well that's what I thought when I first met them, but the whole class seems to be bonding really well. Actually; one of the Grey twins asked me to answer my own questions this time. I haven't had anyone in my classes ask me to join in, in quite a few years now."
"Wait, what did you say?"
"I actually ended up telling them about watching you and Timmy get on that plane. I wasn't expecting to be asked, and given how much they trusted each other with the things they said, I wasn't going to give them a cheap answer. Scariest and saddest was watching you leave, and then come back. That's what I said."
Arizona could see the faraway look in Teddy's eyes as she remembered what it was like to carry Tim's coffin toward his distraught family, wishing she could be standing there too; mourning the loss of someone so important to all of them.
"But, you know, I said my happiest memory was of Tim's face when he told me he was getting married. When he told me he was in love with you."
Teddy smiled at her best friend's words, the memory of Tim's love overcoming the sorrow of his death.
"He was quite the romantic, wasn't he," Teddy said to herself, more as a statement than a question.
"But wait, you told your class we were going to get married? I don't need the pity, Arizona! I-"
"Teddy, no! I told them about how happy he was. I didn't tell them he was happy because of you. I'm not that dumb. Besides," Arizona cheekily added, "if I had told them my brother was your fiancée they would have asked questions about the two of you that I'm sure you wouldn't have wanted me to recount."
"You wouldn't dare!"
"Oh, I don't think I could have helped myself, so I'm glad I left you out of that little bit of the story," Arizona said, winking at Teddy in the process.
"So apparently Callie Torres is coming to town," Teddy said, deciding that a change of topic was in order.
"Yeah, I know, I'm-"
"Surprise, surprise,"
"Shut up, Teddy, honestly, we're studying Alliance this year, so I'm taking my class to see one of her book readings."
"So you're not going because you think she's hot?"
"Well...okay, maybe a little bit because of that too," Arizona winked.
/
"Callie. Words. Please. It's been hours. I don't know how much more if this I can take."
"Mark, she just turned up! After all this time, she just turns up?! I tried contacting her for years! Years, Mark! I got nothing! And now? Now she's just here? Being all fabulous and special guest-y at a ceremony where she would KNOW I was getting an award! Why?! Ugh!"
"Okay, okay, okay. Calm down. The only way you're going to find out why she's here is if you talk to her. Maybe you could answer the next time she rings instead of hanging up again? She's been trying all night, she clearly wants to talk to you."
"You know what, fine. Fine! But if she's going to give me some high and mighty biblical lecture, I'm hanging up."
"Well, fair enough, but she might have something important she wants to say. It might be a good idea to hear her out."
As if on cue, Callie's phone started to vibrate across the top of her desk, signalling yet another call from the person in question.
"Hello?" Callie answered, as if she hadn't been repeatedly ignoring each of the previous calls.
"Hi. Callie. Thank God, I was wondering when Mark was going to be able to talk you down. It took him longer than I was expecting. Anyway, why did you leave? I came to talk to you."
"Why, Aria? Why now? Why not three years ago? You know, when I needed you. I don't need you anymore, and I sure as hell don't want you."
Callie heard her sister sigh through the phone. This wasn't the way she had been hoping the conversation would go, but if they couldn't confront the fact that Aria had dropped all contact since Callie came out to the family, they weren't going to get anywhere.
"Callie, I'm so, so sorry. I know this means nothing to you, and it shouldn't, but I'm getting married. I feel so bad about everything I've done, but I couldn't just get married and not tell you. I couldn't let myself think about you hearing through the press. I- I just couldn't. I want you back in my life. Well, I mean, I never wanted you to be out of it in the first place, but I miss you."
"You're sorry?" Callie asked, sadly, "You're sorry. That's great. I hope you and..."
"Fitz"
"Wait, Fitz? Really?" Callie laughed, almost convincing herself to persevere with the conversation, before saying "Well I hope you have a lovely wedding," and hanging up.
/
"Okay, you lot," Arizona said to her class before taking them into the book reading, "no talking or laughing or chewing gum or doing anything that makes me look bad in front of one of the most famous authors this century. Are we understood?"
For years Arizona had been absolutely captivated by Callie Torres' writing, but not once had she ever had an opportunity to actually attend one of her readings. Only now, sitting with her senior class, listening to her literary idol read from her newest novel, did Arizona realise how much she had missed out on. Of course she had known that the author was beautiful, but having never seen her in person before, she had not recognised how inadequate the thumbnail author profile photographs were at capturing the magnificence of this woman. Having caught herself dreaming off yet again, she hoped beyond hope that she hadn't been too obvious as to have let any of her students see how much the stunning author was affecting her. She wondered silently whether she could have let herself have more fun if she hadn't brought along her senior class, snickering at the thought.
As Karev looked over once again at his professor chuckling quietly to herself, he couldn't help but wonder what on earth about this heartfelt and gut-wrenching story she was finding so amusing.
/
At the end of the reading Arizona gave her class a short task to complete for the following day's class on what they heard, but before sending them home decided that they should wait to get their copies of Torres' new book signed by the author. It was something sentimental that could mean a great deal to the students if they let themselves engage enough with the work. Or, at least, that's the excuse she gave them for wanting to wait around to catch a glimpse, or maybe even talk to, the great beauty she hadn't been able to get off her mind all night.
/
"Hi, would you like me to sign that for you? Who can I make it out to?" Callie said as she was handed yet another regretfully heavy book to sign.
"Yes please, and to Arizona. Arizona Robbins," she heard in reply, "it's great to finally meet you; I've been a huge fan of your work for a number of years now. I actually brought my Advanced Literature class to your reading tonight. I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to come and see the author of one of our core texts read some of her other work."
Looking up from her book, Callie actually took the time to see the person she was talking to. Her usual routine was to speak politely but remain unengaged when it came to book signings. The whole night took far too long otherwise. Something about the excitement behind those words had intrigued her, though, and when she hit the baby blue eyes of the woman standing in front of her, she felt as though an arrow had been shot through her heart. Taking in Arizona's broad smile, Callie found herself completely lost. This woman had rendered her utterly speechless; something she found extremely foreign, given that she worked with words in such an intimate way as an author.
Her usual routine when it came to meeting women at these book signings was to scribble down the address of her hotel below her signature, wink, and let the doorman know she was expecting a visitor when she got to her room; but she was hit with an overwhelming sense of loss at the idea of only spending one night with this woman. Instead, she just stared. Mildly slack jawed and absolutely frozen, she could do nothing but hope the stunning woman in front of her would say something before the moment became too awkward for everyone present.
In an attempt to bypass what was becoming a very strange interaction with the stunning author, Arizona continued her rambling introduction by saying: "We're studying Alliance this year, and I wasn't really expecting anyone in my class to be able to appreciate how incredible it is right away, but there are a few of them who really love your writing and have worked hard to understand the messages coming through. It's quite exciting for me, actually, to have a class who understands your work, because their ability to appreciate how incredible your writing is just goes to show how mature they are as a group."
"I – uh, I'm here for a couple of weeks for more signings and stuff, so maybe, you know, if you think they'd be interested I could swing by the school to answer questions or chat about Alliance or something." Callie could not begin to understand the unintelligent drivel that had just spilled out of her mouth. She was a multi award winning author for goodness sakes. "What I mean to say, is, uh- here, here's my number, and if you want, you can ring and book a time for me to come visit the school to talk to your class. I'll let my manager know it's something I'm happy to do so he doesn't throw it away. I usually don't do little things anymore, but it seems like your class is very keen."
Ending her well rehearsed signature with a flourish, she scrawled a number below it; surprising herself by recognising it not as her manager's, but as her own personal cell.
"Here you go; thanks for stopping by. I always appreciate it when there are fans of my work at these readings." Giving her signature mega-watt smile to the astounded blonde, she handed back the book and internally berated herself for turning into a girlish teenager in front of someone so embarrassingly.
Arizona picked up her freshly signed copy of Woe To The Night and stepped back to let the rest of their class meet the thoroughly bemusing individual that was Callie Torres.