Title: Anything?
Author: Trance-Faith
Rating: T
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Disclaimer: I do not own Grey's. All characters in this story sadly do not belong to me; they're simply being borrowed for a little while, and then will be returned. This story was not written for profit and no copyright infringements are intended.
Storyline: A little A/U. No Erica & Callie. Sometime in season 6, but there was no bathroom kiss in Joe's, so Callie and Arizona aren't seeing each other.
Author's Note: Erica still existed & Mark and Teddy got together earlier.
Author's Note 2: God I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update. Once again not well – seriously my immune system is shot … or I only feel creative when I'm sick. How is 2013 treating you so far?
Beta: None – all mistakes are very much my own.
Callie's POV
The other woman half sat mouth slightly ajar, and her hand still resting on Callie's forearm; somewhat shocked at her outburst. Callie felt her face reddening out of embarrassment. Not only was it quite clear Callie had been crying and was still doing so weakly, but she had shouted fairly loudly at Arizona.
Noticing with a small jerk her current position Arizona gave a small nervous laugh before standing. "Sorry I just wanted to check you were okay", the blonde said in a rush, seemingly unable to look Callie in the eye.
Arizona turned to leave and Callie caught her hand easily. "I'm sorry", Callie apologised, noting the anger she had felt for this woman only moments ago had subsided considerably. The blonde turned to look at her and she couldn't help the small smile she gave her. "I thought you were Mark. I just wasn't in the mood to deal with him" Callie explained rather sheepishly.
Arizona was no longer trying to leave but both women seemed to not want to let go; or maybe Arizona hadn't noticed. "No I'm not Mark" she said with a smile, before letting Callie's hand drop. "Can I?" she said pointing at the bed Callie was half laid on. Nodding a little too enthusiastically, Callie moved herself into a sitting position at the head of the bed; Arizona sat at the foot.
Once again Arizona seemed to be unable to look her in the eyes, but instead was playing with the corner of the duvet Callie had previously been covered with. A few moments passed before the blonde spoke, though still refused to look at her. "Karev showed me the photo after you left. Not before and I was going to talk to you about it when I got the chance. But then Teddy came over to eat with me and…" Arizona said in a low voice to the bit of material she was partially ringing with her ringers. Callie couldn't help the slightly giddy feeling or the smile; Arizona hadn't told her but she hadn't been as deceitful as she had believed either. "I'm sorry about your mom" Arizona said once again to the duvet.
Callie let out a big sigh, which turned in a small though not completely truthful chuckle which caused Arizona to look up confused. Leaning backward Callie's head came to rest on the wall behind her. "My mom just…she has views" Callie started to explain. "Beliefs…whatever you want to call them. I don't agree with them. I was brought up to believe them, but I don't. I don't think. I mean how can God damn you to hell because you love someone who had the same…anatomy as you? It makes no sense" Callie continued her monologue though couldn't help but wonder who it was for. Arizona or her.
Arizona gave her best sad sympathetic eyes without knowing or understanding the real turmoil she was going through. "Love is love right. I mean you're parents are meant to love you for you, not what they want you to be. I still remember the look on her face when I had to tell her George and I had gotten a divorce because my dad was too much of a coward to tell her, himself. Pure shame" the brunette continued knowing her voice shook. Arizona moved to rest a hand one of Callie's knees, whose legs were crossed in front if her.
"I mean who does that? Who when their child is clearly upset and scared about sharing something like that with, just looks at them which shame and disgust. Like she's perfect! She was pregnant with Aria when her and my dad got together, and he raised her just like his own. But no I get divorced and drunkenly kiss a woman and I'm the scum of the Earth who will rot in Hell for the rest of eternity" the ending of her speech finished much more higher than she's begun as she flood gates opened and she burst into tears. Callie buried her face into her hands, as she sobbed.
Bed moved beneath her and the brunette felt Arizona wrap her arms around her. The angle was awkward and kinder her hurt her back but she didn't care. She sobbed into Arizona shoulder, Arizona's scrubs clenched in her fist. The other woman's hand slid up and down her back, and whispered her "hush" periodically, gently soothing her back from her despair. The methodical breathing which brushed across the top of her head helped calm her too.
Despite the violent start to her tears, they didn't last long; though it took a while for her breathing to even out and longer still for the blonde to release her from her embrace. Even when Arizona pulled away she didn't go far, obviously noticing her fragile state. "And now thanks to April Kepner everyone is going to think I'm gay" Callie said as if they were mid-conversation, her tone sounding much like child.
Arizona smiled at her, and she'd be lying if she said it didn't make her heart flutter, but in her current state it equally annoyed her. "People around here talk. We both know it. Because of that talk, I know who George is and how I knew who Mark Sloan was before I had … well been hit on by him" Arizona explained, pulling slightly disgusted face. Callie couldn't help grinning back at her. "People talk and I can say with pretty much 100% certainty that people don't think you're a lesbian", Arizona finished with a smile which was clearly meant to be reassuring.
"Great" Callie said in a low whisper. Arizona had heard about her. People talk and Arizona had heard about her. Well that pretty much destroyed any chance they had. If they had ever stood a chance to be begin with.
"Yeah it is. The talk, it's great. I can't lie and say I haven't heard about your personal life. Hospital staff wherever you go run like a gossip mill. However the talk about you, and how good you are at your job…all that, I've heard that too. More actually", this time the reassuring smile reached Arizona's eyes. It wasn't all bad. It was odd that Arizona had heard so much, because the hospital gossip mill had given Callie very little about the blonde in front of her. "It's all good. You shouldn't care what others think of you, anyway", Arizona said supportively.
She used to not care. She was badass and hardcore and didn't give a damn what other people said. Then life and Seattle Grace happened and all she did was care. "I know…and I don't. But my mom" Callie trailed off.
"You should care about your mom. She's your mom. But you should know, and you do know that parents can be wrong. Even your mom. I'm not religious at all so I don't say, but I don't believe that getting divorced or having a drunken kiss with me means you are going to hell. You aren't gay and you can' tell me you didn't think through all options before getting divorced. It wasn't a decision you made lightly. Am I right?" Arizona voice carried a defiance and confidence which Callie couldn't help but feel too, if only in this moment.
"Yes. You're right", Callie answered with a smile. The smile she got in return was beaming that it seemed to melt away her sadness. Sure she was still frustrated with her mother, but as Arizona said it wasn't all about her. These feelings she has been having regardless of the blonde's reciprocation weren't wrong. Right?
A pager went off causing both women to jump; which considering they were both on call and in the hospital wasn't very professional. Callie went to grab her pager on the small desk, Arizona her own on her belt. "Mine" Arizona said looking apologetically right at her.
"Its fine, go. Sick kids need you" Callie said, genuinely feeling better. The blonde stood from the bed, quickly decreasing her clothes. Just before Arizona left the room she turned saying, "Tonight I'm going out with some of my friends. It's my friend Claire's birthday. You wouldn't have to drink much, you can bring people and if April comes we can confiscate her phone". The smile Arizona gave her made it hard to say no. Assumingly taking Callie's own smile as confirmation, Arizona said "Great! I'll text you the address when Claire lets me know where we're going". With final grin Arizona closed the door behind her, leaving Callie with half an hour before her final surgery of the day, and a few people to invite to an unknown night out.
