Title: Covert Affairs 3/?
Author: GreysAddictJ
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Rating: NC-17/M (For later chapters)
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No infringement intended. Also, I don't use a beta, so all mistakes are mine.
Summary: A/U – Callie Torres is a badass. A professional badass. As a spy working for the United States government, it is her job to protect the American people from threats that they don't even know exist. She's awesome at her job. Focused and in control. Except when it comes to the mysterious blonde she needs to help her with her most dangerous mission yet. This is a reader-driven fic. How the next chapter begins will be decided by reader vote.
A/N: For Jessie. The magic number is 5.
Callie's grin slid from her face as she saw who was reading Jane Austen at the bar. Not a nerd at all. Far from it. It was . . .the hot blonde. The one she'd recently toyed with. The one who had flirted back. The one who had told her that her name was . . . Erica. Not Arizona. What the hell?
Callie paused for a moment, pondering what exactly she should do. The blonde . . . Arizona . . . Erica, whatever her name was, hadn't noticed her yet. The fact that the woman had lied about her name made Callie's blood boil. It wasn't exactly the way to start off a trust-filled working relationship. But then again, Callie reminded herself, she hadn't exactly been upfront with her identity either. Was it fair to hold the woman before her to a different standard? But on the other hand, she was the spy. She was the one with the secret mission. When they'd met, presumably Arizona had no idea she'd be called upon to help with a covert operation. So why the secrecy?
And now that Callie thought about it, what the hell was a woman like Arizona Robbins doing in a place like Antarra? And what was she doing there just days before being called in for a top secret job? It seemed too convenient to be a coincidence. Finally, Callie brushed off her anger. At least for the time being. Starting off any relationship, working or otherwise, with accusations and anger was hardly the ideal solution. She'd play it cool . . . for now. Maybe play it really cool. Pretend she'd already forgotten their encounter from the other night. If the blonde wanted to remain anonymous, remain forgettable, so be it. Two could play at that game. With a self-satisfied smirk, Callie approached the woman.
"Dr. Robbins?" Callie said nonchalantly.
The blonde woman before her lowered her book, those familiar blue eyes peeking out over the top of the pages. Just a hint of a smile flashed across Callie's lips as she saw the shock register on the woman's face.
Recovering, Arizona smiled awkwardly and offered her hand to Callie. "That's me. You must be Calliope Torres." A slight smirk played across Arizona's face, letting Callie know that she definitely remembered their nameless encounter from a few days ago.
"That's right. Nice to meet you, Dr. Robbins." Callie said, returning Arizona's smirk, but pretending it was indeed their first meeting. Choosing to continue to play it cool, Callie turned to the bartender and ordered her usual, a vodka tonic before turning her attention back to the blonde.
"Please, call me Arizona." The blonde replied.
Callie arched a knowing eyebrow, a subtle and silent reference to Arizona's use of a fake name just days earlier. "People call me Callie." Their unspoken game was interrupted as Gina set Callie's drink down on the bar.
"No martini? Shaken not stirred?" Arizona asked playfully. "How very un-spy-like of you."
Callie couldn't help but chuckle. "I try my best not to be a walking stereotype. Which I see, applies to you as well. Not exactly what I picture when I think of someone with a doctorate in computer science."
"I'm full of all sorts of surprises." Arizona responded flirtatiously.
Callie smiled again, but then caught herself. She was falling right back into their seductive banter of a few days ago. She chastised herself, remembering that this woman was indeed full of secrets. That there was something not quite right about her. That she was definitely hiding something. And, Callie reminded herself, just because this woman was like walking, liquid sex, did not mean that she could forget that Arizona Robbins was not to be trusted. At least not yet. No matter how damn sexy she was.
"So, anyway . . . shall we get down to business?" Callie said, immediately feeling a flush creep across her skin as the double meaning of her words hit her.
Arizona had to admit, she'd been a little surprised when she'd been told to meet a woman spy at the hotel bar. She'd been expecting some chauvinist, macho guy who'd expect her to play damsel in distress. And she'd been more than a little surprised, shocked even, when she discovered just who Calliope Torres was. Yes, this spy was definitely a woman. All woman. And unfortunately (or fortunately) for Arizona, Calliope Torres and her mystery crush from a few days ago were one in the same. One the one hand, she'd be lying to herself if she'd said she wasn't glad to have a chance to spend some quality time up close and personal with the gorgeous Latina. On the other hand, she hadn't exactly gotten off on the right foot with the woman. Lying about her name, leading her on . . . And Callie did not seem in any hurry to acknowledge Arizona's deception. She'd expected anger. This subtle game definitely had Arizona confused. And intrigued.
Arizona nearly choked on her drink when Callie suggested that they get down to business. Obviously Callie had meant actual business. Not dirty business. Still, the double meaning was not lost on her. And wasn't lost on Callie either, judging from the cute blush that betrayed Callie's embarrassment.
Deciding to remain professional, Arizona simply nodded and replied, "sure." Yes, keeping a professional distance was best. As much as this gorgeous woman stirred desires and feelings within her unlike any she'd felt for a very long time, now was not the time for emotional entanglements. Emotions were messy. They led to poor choices. They led to lowered defenses. And right now, the last thing Arizona could afford was a costly mistake because she'd lowered her guard. No sex was worth that. No matter how hot that sex promised to be.
"So how much do you know?" Callie began, glad that Arizona had let her off the hook.
"Not much." Arizona replied.
"Okay. Why don't we head back to my room and I'll tell you what I know. Not the kind of thing we should be talking about in a public place like this."
"Super." Arizona responded.
As they headed back to Callie's room, both women couldn't help but think about the fact that they'd almost taken this exact path a few nights before, with very different intentions. They walked in silence, both lost in their thoughts, both warring with the unavoidable attraction and their need to keep their distance.
Callie opened the door to her room and held it open for Arizona. As Arizona passed, Callie's breath hitched as she took in the subtle citrusy scent of the blonde's perfume. It was intoxicating and it took all of Callie's willpower to remind herself that this woman was full of secrets and that it would be a dangerous game to trust her so willingly. Especially just for the sake of a good roll in the hay.
They settled on the sofa in the small living area of Callie's suite and Callie began the briefing. "So what we know is that a team of Navy Seals was sent to raid a secret compound of the extremist group Morvada. Have you heard of them?" Callie asked.
Arizona nodded. "Of course. A bunch of crazies who are not afraid to use terrorism to try and force their beliefs on others."
"Yeah, a little over simplified, but it'll do." Callie said. "Anyway, they've got a compound out in the desert about 50 miles from here." Callie unrolled a map and pointed out the location. "It's disguised as a sort of elite club for Antarra's rich and powerful. The type of club that you don't get into without a very exclusive invite. The club itself does exist, but our intel suggests that somewhere in that compound, Morvada is hiding a weapon. Possibly a biological weapon. The Seal team went in, but somehow, their mission was compromised. Almost as if members of Morvada were expecting them. A few of the Seals died, a few escaped with their lives, barely. And one other Seal was captured. We don't know if he's dead or alive."
Arizona's face blanched at the details. Her heart was pounding a mile a minute. This operation was so much bigger than anything she'd dealt with before. Sure, she'd spent some time in the Marines. She'd been in high pressure situations. But never like this. Never with so much on the line. If she couldn't see this mission through to the end, she'd never forgive herself. "I see." She responded, all business, doing her best to hide her emotions, her fears. "And where do I come in?"
We don't know much yet, but according to my superiors, the compound is laden with all sorts of computerized security. The most state-of-the-art, hacker-proof software out there. So I'll need your help, when the time is right, to get me through that security."
Arizona nodded again. "Okay. So when do we start? Tonight? Let's get these bastards before they can cause any more harm."
Callie leaned back and held her hands up. "Whoa there! Not so fast. We need to take our time. Be patient. Find the right way to get in there."
"I don't understand. From what you've said, time is of the essence. We need to get in there before anyone else, that Navy Seal gets hurt. Or stop them before they use that weapon. Cleary, after the Seal raid, Morvada knows the U.S. government is onto them. They're not going to sit back and wait. So neither can we." Arizona was beginning to feel tense. She desperately needed this mission to go well. But she couldn't let on just how much so. And Callie already had reasons to doubt her. All because of her stupid fake name back at the bar.
"Arizona . . ." Callie began, in a slightly condescending tone. "First of all, we have no idea if this Seal is even still alive. So yes, while I want to rescue him, this operation has to be done right. It's not just his life at stake, it's the whole world. So we will take our time, gather intelligence, and wait for the right opportunity."
Arizona was growing frustrated and she ran a hand through her blonde locks before letting out a sigh. Callie seemed to be taking this far too lightly. "I don't get it. Give me a gun, we'll sneak in there tonight, and I'll disable any security cameras and alarms along the way. This is what I get paid for."
Callie was getting annoyed. This woman had been on her team for less than an hour and she was already trying to tell her how to do her job. "I appreciate your input. But just because you've watched a few action movies does not make you an expert on these things. I'm not just going to give you a weapon and let you go play G.I. Jane, when you're more like Tech-Geek Barbie."
Arizona, put off by Callie's attempt to talk down to her, responded in kind. "Barbie? I don't think so. I'll have you know that I spent 6 years in the Marine Corps. So don't act like you're some big shot and that I've never been out from behind my computer screen. I'm every bit as badass as you are."
Callie exploded, the combination of stress and distrust, mixed with more than just a little pent up sexual frustration finally fraying at her nerves. "Listen. I don't know who you think you are, but this is my show. I'm the expert here. Not you. I call the shots. You are simply here to help. You work for me. Understood? And if you do anything, I mean anything, to compromise this mission, so help me God, I will show you exactly how much of a badass I can be."
"You know what? I don't need this. This is exactly why I quit this business to begin with. I'm out of here." Arizona said, rising and storming from the room.
As the door slammed, Callie slumped back onto the couch. What the hell was that all about? One minute, the woman was clueless about the mission, the next, she expected to be calling all the shots? Ridiculous. In a fit of rage, she called headquarters.
Callie breathed a sigh of relief to find Webber at his desk. "Richard. You've got to find me another hacker. I can't work with that woman."
"Torres. What have you gone and done?" Webber asked, exasperated already.
"Nothing, Richard. It's her. She waltzes in here and expects to be in charge. Expects to tell me what she thinks is best and for me to just go along with it. She's an amateur. I'm the professional."
"Callie. Calm down. First of all, did it ever occur to you that someone else might be right? I'm not saying she was right in this situation. . ."
"She wasn't." Callie cut him off. "Wanted to just go and storm the compound, just the two of us. Like some crazed Thelma and Louise on steroids."
"Like I said, she might not have been right here, but you're going to have to learn to work with her. As. A. Team. Not your strong suit, Torres. Teamwork. But you're going to have to try. Because she's the best and we're not getting you a replacement."
"But Richard." Callie began.
"No buts, Torres. You work with her." He said.
"What about the fact that I can't trust her?" Callie said. "I met her. Here in Antarra. Days before we even knew there was a need for someone like her. Isn't that just a little too convenient? And she lied to me about her name. I met her at the bar and she flat out gave me a fake name. How can I work with someone who's hiding something?"
"Torres. I understand your concern. Though, if I'm not mistaken, and let's face it, I'm not, I'm guessing part of your anger is from the fact that she turned you down. Isn't that right?"
"What? No!" Callie replied a little too quickly.
"Torres . . . " Webber said. "You and I both know how you act when you don't get what . . . or who . . . you want."
"Fine. Whatever. It's a moot point anyway, Richard. I can't trust her. And I can't work with her. So let's move on."
"Torres. Like I said. You're going to have to work with her. And as far as trusting her goes, don't worry. As I'm sure you're aware, her background has been fully screened. She checks out. So whatever her reasons for being secretive, well, they're not important here. So go make nice." Richard instructed.
"I can't." Callie protested.
"Why not?" Webber asked, frustrated.
"Because we didn't exactly end things on nice terms. She stormed off. Said something about not needing this job."
"Torres. You are to go and apologize. This mission will not be compromised because you overreacted to the fact that this woman didn't fall into bed with you." Webber said, his voice firm.
"That's not it at all . . ." Callie responded.
"Well, I don't care what your excuse is. With this mission, there are no excuses. Now go clean up your mess. There are lives at stake."
"Yes, sir." Callie replied before hanging up.
She threw an exasperated arm over her eyes and let out a sigh. She certainly had made a mess of things. Granted, she was right and Arizona was wrong. Clearly. Even so, she did feel a little guilty about the way she'd handled things. She didn't usually fly off the handle like that. Webber might have been partially right – Callie was frustrated, in more ways than one.
But even so, could she really apologize? Webber had emphasized the importance of doing so. The importance of working as a team, with this woman. But despite what Webber had said, she still didn't trust the woman. Not completely. And in her business, trust was everything.
As Arizona stormed into her room and threw herself onto the bed, she felt the tears come. She hated it. Hated herself. When she was angry, she cried. It looked and it felt weak. But she couldn't help it. Growing up in a family of Marines, weakness was frowned upon. She'd even proven her toughness by doing her own stint with the Corps. Eventually, unable to live her life as a lie under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," she'd quit for a life of civilian service. She'd still served her country, working for the NSA, before leaving to work in the private sector. Recently, she'd just lost all passion for her work, for her life in general. But this new assignment seemed like a bright prospect. A chance to make a difference , to fix things. But now this. . .
Things had started out so promising. A little relaxation, a little flirtation with a gorgeous woman. A little mystery, a little adventure. But it had come back to bite her in the ass . . . hard. Who knew that her counterpart in the secret, flirtatious game would turn out to be the very spy she was supposed to work with. And turn out to be a royal control freak. A royal bitch. Could she really work with her? Was it worth it?
Arizona had left in a hurry. Not so much because she was sure she could never work with Calliope Torres, but because she didn't want the woman to see her cry. One could only insist on being a badass for so long. And tears were not exactly a convincing display of badassery. So she'd made an angry excuse and fled.
Arizona sat up and wiped her tears. She needed some time to think this through. Did she really want this? All the frustration. All the worry. All the stress. Was it worth it? If so, she had some major apologizing to do. Even if she didn't mean it. After all, the woman had basically called her weak and stupid. But even so . . .
Okay. Time once again to make a decision. I apologize if last chapter's decisions A and B kind of both found their way into this chapter. I did stick to your choice and neither one brought up the fake name, as promised. All the same, I needed a few angry sparks to fly. Anyway, on to this chapter's choice. Please leave your vote and any other thoughts/comments you have in a review/comment. Reviews = love. Anyway . . . right now our girls are at an impasse. What should they do?
Callie clearly woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Despite the fact that Arizona came in and tried to run the show, Callie needs to let go. For the good of the mission. Callie needs to go and apologize. After all, she's not going to get within a mile of that captured Seal and that weapon without Arizona's fierce skills.
Arizona needs to apologize. Where does she get off thinking she's the next female action hero? Sure, she's got some Marine training, but when it comes to the spy world, that's Callie's domain.
No one should apologize. They've both got a reason to be angry. Go their separate ways and see where their secret, mysterious and sexy paths cross next.
