A/N - Dedicated to AshleyMburns and Mientosz for keeping me entertained throughout the night whilst I have been proofreading endless chapters, here is your reward... a third chapter in a 24 hour period!
ALxxx
-oOo-
"I'm sure she'll be here any minute now, there was an issue with some zoning permits that she had to deal with early this morning to meet a permit deadline, she must have gotten held up" Arizona smiled tightly at the stuffy lawyer and the 'playboy bunny wannabe' opposite her.
She couldn't believe that this was the kind of woman that Callie would fall in love with and marry... sure she wasn't ugly, but she was far from attractive. She was good looking in that porn star kind of way, in a forced and heavily made up way. Not at all what Arizona pictured Callie to settle down with, she imagined the brunette with someone elegant and classy, someone that would challenge her and keep her on her toes, not... well... do all kinds of dirty things to her toes, and that's exactly what this woman looked like she would do, she was well aware how jealous she sounded, but she was concerned about her friend and if this was the kind of woman her heart was attracted to, then Callie was in big trouble.
"Sorry I'm late everyone, did I miss the special occasion?" Callie flauntered into the room full of confidence, all traces of the woman Arizona had spoken to last night were gone. Callie smiled a disinterested smile at her soon to be ex wife and Mr Jackson, her lawyer who were throwing daggers at her. "Kara, I see you have had a bit of a makeover, this look really suits your personality" Callie forced a sweet smile as she glared at her ex and hid her shock at the slutty look she was wearing, something she definitely never used to wear when they met.
"Callie, do me a favor and check with me before you speak" Arizona muttered in the brunettes ear after she had dumped herself in the chair next to her as if she didn't have a care in the world. Callie nodded and offered a sheepish half smile to the blonde.
"Now that we are all FINALLY here, I would like to discuss the settlement terms" Kara's lawyer spoke, giving Callie a pointed look of disgust, not in the slightest afraid of making a point of letting the brunette know that she had kept them all waiting.
"The terms have already been set and signed by both of our clients Mr Jackson, it's commonly referred to as a pre-nup, I'm sure your client remembers signing it prior to her marriage to my client" Arizona eyed the pompous man icily, ignoring the smirk she could see Callie giving her from the side of her eye. If there was one thing Callie appreciated and always got a kick out of, it was Arizona's feisty side.
"And as we both know Ms. Robbins, pre-nup's come with certain clauses in them..." Kara's lawyer smirked as he saw Callie glance at Arizona questioningly and with a little worry.
"In plain English please... although if it suits you I can follow in Spanish or French" Arizona offered a 'fuck you' smile and desperately tried ignoring the amused snort that just escaped Callie, she couldn't let Callie's amusement get to her and crack a smile, now was not the time.
"My client would like double the alimony" the stuffy lawyer smarmed as he ignored the attitudes coming from the two women opposite him.
"Oh I am sure she does... I'm also sure that she understands the pre-nup she sighed" Arizona glanced at Callie's soon to be ex wife who was playing with her fingernails in disinterest and she couldn't help but shake her head in anger at the woman who had broken Callie's heart.
"Given the circumstances surrounding the demise of the marriage I hardly think it is an unfair request to make" Mr Jackson smirked.
"I'm assuming you're referring to the alleged infidelity?" Arizona asked tightly as she studied the woman opposite her for any sign of actually caring about what was happening in the room or any form of remorse for hurting the brunette next to her.
"Alleged?" Kara spoke up for the first time. "She was fucking my best friend on our couch!" She spat angrily as she glared at Arizona, refusing to look at her wife.
"Well I didn't want to be disrespectful by banging her in our bed, I'm not completely heartless" Callie scoffed before shrinking into her chair slightly when she received a death glare from Arizona. Callie offered a sheepish smile and gave Arizona a wink, hoping that the blonde would understand her message that she was over this entire thing.
"So what you're claiming is, infidelity is worth twice the alimony?" Arizona asked turning her attention back to Mr Jackson and raising her eyebrow challengingly.
"Yes of course, I'm sure if you were more focussed on the case and not on childminding your client you would be aware of that" Mr Jackson smiled thinking that Arizona was admitting defeat, he had done his job well and won his client what she wanted.
"Well going by that token, any infidelity on your clients behalf would have to held against her in a monetary fashion also, correct?" Arizona turned her gaze to Callie's wife and stared her down with disgust as the woman feigned innocence.
"I'm sorry, what exactly are you insinuating?" Mr Jackson scoffed irritably as he ignored his clients head snapping to attention before glaring at Callie questioningly.
"That the Mrs Kara Torres used company resources for private matters... and from the statement we have signed and ready to hand over to a judge, it wasn't numbers the company accountant was drilling that night" Arizona smirked proudly when she saw the shocked and scared expression on Callie's exes face.
"I have loyal employees, what can I say? I think it's the health plan and all the bonuses" Callie snorted in proud amusement of Arizona's joke, loving seeing this feisty side of the blonde.
"Oh the health plan is wonderful!" Arizona smiled at Callie offering her a subtle wink that told Callie a silent promise that the blonde had her back and wasn't going to let her wife or the lawyer screw her over or make her look bad.
"Thank you, it's important to us at T.I. that we are loyal to the people who commit to work with us" Callie smiled at Arizona playfully, biting back her grin when she saw the amusement in the sparkling cerulean eyes still watching her before the blonde turned her attention back to the proceedings.
"We will not agree to pay anything outside of the…" Arizona trailed off as Callie intereupted her, she spun to face her in shock when she heard the first few words slip between those plump lips.
"We will pay the alimony and we will sign over the house so you can keep it all to yourself... as long as you release me from any further obligation of our marital agreement" Callie said diplomatically, ignoring the confused look on Arizona's face.
"You fucking bitch Callie!" Kara screamed as she jumped from her seat, grabbed her glass of water and threw it's contents over Callie, who didn't flinch not wanting to give the woman she once loved the satisfaction of getting upset at being soaked with water.
"Watch your language or you will not get the estate or the alimony Mrs Torres!" Arizona snapped furiously as she removed her gaze from the drenched brunette beside her, seeing that Callie wanted to play it by acting as if it hadn't happened and respecting that, she could question if she was ok and help her dry off once they were out of sight of the ex and her asshole lawyer.
"Don't you DARE call me that god awful name! You're just another one of her fucking dumb bimbo's that she is probably paying in orgasms" Kara glared at Arizona, her nostrils flaring in anger.
"Hah, Ms Robbins is far from a bimbo... not that she or her credentials owe any explanation to you, but she finished at the top of her class at Harvard. Her IQ probably tops your's, mine and your charming lawyer's IQ combined... jealousy really doesn't suit you sweetheart" Callie scoffed as she edged forward in her chair, knowing what was about to come and wanting to be prepared as she saw Kara edging towards the jug of water as her eyes glared at the blonde.
"I really wouldn't do that if I were you Kara, some people may not be as forgiving as I am when it come's to your shit" Callie warned in a tone Arizona had never heard before. She glanced at the brunette who was staring at her wife with eyes full of fury as Kara stared back shocked at her wife's warning, Callie had never spoken to her like that before with so much venom and threat in her voice. Reluctantly, knowing that she had been beat, she dropped into her chair dramatically and glared at Callie pointedly whilst crossing her arms angrily.
"Just sign the fucking papers Callie so I can finally be free of you" Kara snarled.
"My pleasure sweetheart… ladies first" Callie started to slide the docket towards Kara before pulling it back and signing it whilst trying to bite back a snort of amusement and trying to disguise her smirk at having gotten one last cheap shot in. Once all parts were signed she pushed it with gusto so that the stack of papers would reach across to the other side of the desk dramatically, swallowing the stab of pain in her heart as she watched the redhead add her signatures to the papers, ending their sham of a marriage… well a sham from Kara's side anyway.
-oOo-
"Why did you give her the house?" Arizona asked softly with no judgment as they walked out of the legal office and onto the busy New York sidewalk, she could tell the brunette wasn't in the best of moods and quizzing her right now probably wasn't the best idea, but she couldn't help herself, her curiosity was piqued.
"Why not? It's tainted with bad memories, and let's be honest she would never have accepted the alimony alone... anyway you are the one that keeps telling me that I have a responsibility to those who aren't as fortunate as me" Callie offered with a shrug, trying not to let the anger bubbling deep within her at her now ex wife's antics come across and be misdirected at the blonde.
"Callie, everyone is less fortunate than you... why give it to that gold digger? All she is going to do is sell the house and spend the money at the nearest plastic surgeon" Arizona scoffed with more irritation than she intended.
"Oh I get it Arizona... you want me to be generous but only to those of whom YOU approve of and for the causes which you judge worthy enough?" Callie asked in annoyance, shaking her head in frustration at how pig headed the blonde could be at times.
"What I want Callie, is to be allowed to do my job and to do it to the best of my ability" Arizona sniped back.
"You did your job Arizona, this morning I was married to a 'gold digger' and now I am a divorced to a 'gold digger', you did your job by the textbook" Callie forced a smile as she stopped at a hot dog stand and ordered two dogs, the urge for something greasy to soothe the sadness overtaking her. She handed over a hundred dollar bill, smiling at the vendor and telling him to keep the change before walking away, the elation at the $95 tip on the vendors face instantly lightening her mood slightly. She handed Arizona a dog with combined tomato ketchup and mustard squirted on the meat before the double serve of fried onions were laid on top. Just the way Arizona loved it, something not many people knew about Arizona. Had the blonde not been distracted by Callie's anger she would have been pleasantly surprised to find Callie knew the right way to present her hot dog.
"Callie stop acting like a spoiled brat with me and just admit that your upset and hurt right now, you don't need to act like this around me, you don't need to wear the Callie Torres mask... just allow yourself to just be yourself" Arizona sighed in frustration.
"Jesus Arizona, what do you want from me? Yes I am upset, but what good is being upset going to do me? If it bothers you that much in future I will make sure the next time I allow someone into my heart and they want to stamp all over it, I will get someone else to fix the mess I didn't ask for" Callie scoffed.
"You are unfairly projecting your anger onto me Calliope" Arizona warned.
"No, I'm angry and you are doing nothing but winding me up so I'm projecting my anger for you at you for annoying me" Callie scoffed.
"You know what Calliope... if you want to bitch and whine like a child go right ahead, but do it without me... when the Calliope who acts like a real person… you know the real person who was pouring her heart out to me last night? When she decides that she wants to talk... give me a call because her, I have time for, yeah?" Arizona glared at the brunette before storming away and ignoring the few people whose attention she had caught with her outburst.
"Arizona... wait" Callie called out, shocked when the blonde actually stopped and turned towards her expectantly, she couldn't help but make her way towards her slowly with her head hung low like a naughty child approaching a parent and awaiting a scolding and grounding.
"Yes Calliope? Did you have something you wanted to say?" Arizona deadpanned, playing along with Callies naughty child act.
"I'm not good at feelings alright? I'm sorry I was a ginormous bitch to you... and if you allow me, I would really like to hang out with you today and make it up to you... if you don't already have plans?" Callie offered a small hopeful smile.
"Apology accepted, but I'm still not going vibrator shopping with you" Arizona rolled her blue eyes in mock annoyance, hoping to diffuse the tension that had fallen between them since leaving the divorce proceeding.
"I wasn't even going to suggest it... mainly because I didn't think the option was on the table" Callie smirked shyly.
"Come on, you can buy me a proper lunch... but no more childish spats, if you need to get something off your chest I am happy to help but only if you do it in a mature way" Arizona warned with a playful pout
"Is it too soon for me to crack a joke about you asking me to remove something from my chest in a mature way?" Callie raised her eyebrow slowly, smiling when Arizona couldn't contain her laugh.
"You're such a pig" blue eyes rolled mockingly.
"I can't help it! it's your fault, you bring it out in me, it's like the second you're around my mind turns into a big pile of dirty mush" Callie laughed as she shoulder bumped the blonde in jest.
"Quit flirting Torres!" Arizona whined.
"Ok, ok... no more flirting" Callie smiled as she raised her hands in mock surrender.
"Really? Just like that your going to start to behave and not flirt with me like you're a shipwrecked survivor who has been stranded on a desert island for a decade and I'm the only woman around" Arizona with an eyebrow raised disbelievingly with a hint of jest.
"Well I wouldn't go that far, I mean I can try but I wouldn't hold out hope in me being successful" Callie laughed.
"I hate you" Arizona scoffed, picking up her pace and walking away, smiling when Callie ran to catch up to her and fell into step alongside her, something the tall brunette who lived in heels never did.
"So... you know how I'm all angry and upset after the divorce?" Callie asked in a subdued voice, glancing at Arizona and watching as the blonde nodded and smiled softly and empathically in her direction. "Do you know what would really cheer me up?" Callie asked hopefully.
"What's that?" Arizona asked with interest.
"What were you wearing to bed last night while we were talking?" Callie smirked hopefully.
"Nice try pervert!" Arizona grinned as she shook her head in amusement.