Disclaimer: This is AU. I do not own any of the characters from Grey's Anatomy. I just manipulate them to my will. Also, any line or phrase or setting that seems remotely familiar from any other show, movie or book, also not mine. I borrow…
AN: Sorry for the long wait. Enjoy!
Chapter 7
Growing up on a farm predisposed Arizona Robbins to manual labor and hard work. There were no such things as vacations or days off, no sleeping in or playing hooky. If someone skipped out on their work that meant animals didn't get fed or land didn't get tended. She grew up working with her hands and sweating, feeling her muscles strain underneath a heavy hay bale or fighting a feisty filly. It brings her a sense of calm, a sense of purpose. And for the first time in weeks, Arizona feels like she is actually doing something productive.
Though washing about a hundred shot glasses isn't exactly the same as plowing hundreds of acres of land, it does provide the same therapeutic properties to the blonde. It's only her third day on the job but Joe's Bar has become her new favorite spot. It's out of the hospital, away from the still pissed off and agitated Tim, and it's not the small and outdated apartment she is renting above her place of employment. She gets to meet new people and laugh and talk and maybe, just for a second, forget about how everything else in her life seems to be going wrong.
Even the silence is better here, which is why Arizona readily offered to come in early and get the place ready for another night. Sure, she's working extra hours for no pay, but it's better than just sitting on her ass and twiddling her thumbs.
Elbow deep in soapy water and lost in thought, Arizona doesn't hear the clomping of boots enter from the back, so when two hands find their way to her waist the blonde jumps clean out of her skin.
"Jesus!" Arizona yelps, water and soap flying through the air as she whips around. Her pounding heart drums in her ears but starts to calm when emerald green eyes stare back at her in amusement. "Christ sake, Cody, you scared the shit out of me."
Cody smiles and replies, "Sorry, baby."
"How did you get in here?" The still shaky blonde asks, turning back to her task at hand and continuing the monotonous task of washing and drying hundred of shot, beer and wine glasses.
The Aussie steps up next to her girlfriend, answering "Back door was open. …Thought I'd come and visit for a while." When Arizona sets a freshly rinsed cup to the side, Cody takes a clean rag and starts to dry. Minutes pass in silence, Arizona washing and Cody drying, each comfortable in their slightly domestic chore.
"So…" Cody drawls, breaking the quiet. "How long are we staying in that apartment?" She asks.
"As long as needed." Arizona answers shortly, glancing to woman next to her and almost daring her girlfriend to say something. When a look of displeasure appears on Cody's face, the blonde adds, "You know… No one is forcing you to stay, Cody. I mean… I'm here because of Tim. He needs to be close to a hospital, to Dr. Torres. But you? …You don't have to be."
"I didn't say anyth-"
"And I know it's small. And old. And the wallpaper is yellowing and the carpet is stained but it's the best that I can do right now, alright?" Arizona keeps going despite Cody trying to assuage her. She tosses the last few clean glasses into a bin then lifts it and carries it out to the front. The blonde begins to stock the glasses a bit more roughly than needed, and when she feels the presence of Cody behind her, she adds, "If you don't like it then-"
"Arizona." Cody cuts her girlfriend off, forcing the woman to turn and face her. "I wasn't complaining about that, honestly." The Aussie says. "I was just trying to decide if it was worth getting curtains…" Blue eyes narrow as Arizona studies the woman, trying to ascertain if she is in fact telling the truth but then the model's gorgeous smile appears and Cody adds, "Besides… you haven't even noticed the flowers I bought for the living room."
Like a maestro with his orchestra, Cody knows exactly how to play at Arizona's guilt and before she knows it, Arizona is smiling as well. "You're right, I'm sorry." She relaxes back against the bar and takes a breath. "You've done an amazing job at fixing the apartment up, Cody."
A pleased grin crosses the Aussie's face and she replies, "Thank you." She starts to play with the front of Arizona's shirt while edging closer and closer to her girlfriend. "You know…" Cody drawls, only inches in front of the blonde. "…I've kinda missed you these past few days."
"Oh yeah?" Arizona plays, a single dimple appeared because of her crooked smirk.
"Oh yeah…" Cody sighs just before leaning in the last few inches separating them and kissing her girlfriend firmly. As lips dance the foreigner's hands start to wander, cupping Arizona's breasts then moving down the length of her svelte torso.
Just as her girlfriend is starting to really get into it, Arizona pulls out of their kiss and says, "Not here."
"Yes, here." Cody rebuts before moving back in to reinitiate the kiss.
But the blonde leans away again, and says, "Cody… Really. Not here."
"Why not?" The Aussie woman pouts.
"Because I'd rather not be canned after just three days of working here." Arizona states firmly. "I mean, if I lose this job… I don't know what I'm going to do. So… sorry, but I can't."
A fleeting thought of seducing the woman crosses Cody's mind but she quickly extinguishes it, and says, "Fine. Later then, baby." A bright green eye winks in promise and the couple share a quick kiss before Cody starts to retreat back the way she came. Just before pushing through the swinging door separating the front area from the back, she asks, "Can I borrow your truck?"
That makes Arizona pause from where she has continued stocking glasses, and says, "Why?"
"I want to go to the Australian consulate and talk to someone about the status of my visa." The foreigner replies. "I'd take a cab but the embassy is clear across town, it'd be at least 50 dollars. So…" Arizona understands what her girlfriend is trying to say because she knows just as well as anyone that Cody is used to the finer things in life. Even though she's not a full blown model, her contract with Tim's sponsors provided her with some luxuries. So this whole scenario has been an adjustment for her just as much as it has been for Arizona and Tim.
The blonde smiles and digs in her pocket for her keys, tossing them to her girlfriend she says, "Remember, we' drive on the right hand side over here."
"Ha. Ha." Cody laughs sarcastically with a roll of her eyes. "Did anyone ever tell you that you suck at jokes?" The couple exchanges a smile and then the Aussie says, "I'll see you later." The next second Arizona is left alone to continue her chores, preparing for yet another long night of earning her rent.
Two and a half weeks stuck in a hospital bed is enough to drive anyone crazy, but for Timothy Robbins it's about a hundred times worse. He's used to being out in the open air, riding horses and taking chances. Climbing on top of a raging bull and trying to fight it. Granted, that's kind of what brought him to Seattle Grace Mercy West in the first place, but now he just wants out. Even the attractive nurses and tasty pudding isn't enough to keep him happy, he just wants out. And hopefully today is the day that dream is coming true.
Blue eyes look up from his daily crossword to find Dr. Torres striding into his room, hair perfectly set and lips gleaming with red lipstick. "Morning, Doc." He chirps happily.
"Good morning, Tim." The surgeon replies warmly. "How we feeling today?"
"Not a day over 20." The man answers, puffing out his chest and pulling on his brightest smile to give his doctor the full effect.
"Mmm… I think I'll be the one making that call." Callie replies with a smile. With the ear buds in her ears, Callie slips the end of her stethoscope down the front of her patient's hospital gown. As she listens to the strong and steady beating of Tim's heart, the Latina asks. "So… I haven't seen your sister around here lately."
"Yeah…" Tim mumbles weakly, the guilt already weighing on his shoulders doubling. "I'm sure you've heard about our umm…"
"Fight?" Callie asks with a raised eyebrow once her stethoscope is back around her neck and she's scribbling some notes in the man's chart. "Yeah, my whole ward heard it."
"Yeah, well… Four days is Arizona's new silent treatment record." Tim replies.
The Latina knows it's none of her business even though Arizona herself told her that she is doing everything in her power to help her brother. It's not her place to tell Tim that he was being an ass, and that no matter what Arizona did or said it wasn't cause for the way he yelled at her.
So instead she just says, "Well, today is your opportunity to kiss and make up because I'm discharging you." The surgeon doesn't miss the slight expression of dread that is mixed in with Tim's pleasure, and adds, "I'll be back at noon with your papers. Make sure she's here to sign them or you're not going anywhere." Callie clicks her pen closed and leaves Tim's room after giving him a very serious warning glare.
And apparently it worked because hours later, just after the clock reads 12 noon, Callie returns to Tim's room to find both brother and sister sitting in silence. As soon as she enters two sets of matching blue eyes snap up to her, and when Callie sees the small smile that appears on Arizona's face there is a slight fluttering in her stomach.
Smiling back at the blonde, Callie pulls her patients discharge papers from his chart and says, "Alright, let's get you out of here, Mr. Robbins." She goes over all of her directions for Tim's recovery and care, as well as writing a prescription for some medication, all the while Tim is practically dancing in his bed. …As much as a guy with a bum heart and shattered leg can dance.
Outside his room, where Arizona is just signing the last of his discharge papers, Callie muses, "He seems in good spirits."
"I wouldn't know." Arizona replies shortly, still not on talking terms with her brother. The only reason she is here is because Tim needs to be discharged into someone's care, otherwise she wouldn't care if he had to hitchhike his way out of the hospital.
"So I'm guessing you two didn't make up." Callie says weakly, knowing she's entering touchy territory.
Blue eyes slowly travel up from the paper in front of her and lock with brown. "No." The blonde says softly then initials the last box and hands the papers back to the doctor. "Is that it, Dr. Torres?"
The Latina can sense a small chill in the woman's attitude, but she can't figure out why, so she replies, "Yeah. He's free to go. I'll have one of my nurses bring by a wheelchair to escort you out. And… just call the hospital to have his files faxed to wherever you end up." A sad, almost yearning smile tickles Callie's face, and with a small nod she turns her back on the woman she's sure she'll never see again.
But she doesn't make it two steps before Arizona says, "We're staying here." Callie halts in her tracks, turning to face the blonde while her mouth drops in surprise. "In Seattle. …I've decided that we'll, Tim and I, we'll stay here until it's… safer."
Callie doesn't know what to say, or even how to feel. The slight flicker of happiness confuses her because why would she be thrilled that Arizona is staying in town? It's not like they are close friends, that they have some sort of deep relationship. They've known each other a little over a month, and even then it's mostly in passing. One quiet cup of coffee in her home isn't what Callie considers a relationship. But still… Arizona staying in Seattle is some of the best news she's heard in a long time.
And because she is trying to process this all in a matter of a nanosecond, all Callie can respond with is, "Oh."
"Yeah…" The blonde drawls, her gaze dropping from the surgeons when Arizona can feel those warm brown eyes boring into her soul. "I uhh… You know that bar across the street? Joe's? He uhhh, Joe offered me the small apartment just above it if I'd work for him. So now I'm a bartender six nights a week."
"That's uhh… that's great." Torres says, trying to find something to do with her now sweating hands so she ends up stuffing them in her lab coat pockets.
Arizona merely shrugs and adds, "It'll do for now, I guess." Despite knowing that she is playing with fire, the blonde decides to risk getting burned and suggests, "You know, if you ever have a free night you should come by and have a drink. …On the house, of course. It is my turn, after all."
The arrival of a man with a wheelchair announces the close of this conversation and Callie says, "Yeah. ….Maybe." They share a smile before Arizona follows the nurse into her brother's room, leaving Callie to ponder just what having drinks with this woman might lead to.
When you going to come by and let me give you a tour?
Thumbs hover over the surface of Cody's phone as emerald green eyes read the text message for the third time. This isn't the first message a certain blonde haired doctor from the hospital has sent to her, but it is the first one asking to get together again. Despite flirting and teasing, Cody never really intended for anything to happen with Dr. Jillian Chase but when the surgeon asked for her number, the Aussie just couldn't say no. And now Chase is waiting for an answer.
But the sounds of boots hitting the staircase outside makes Cody jump. She quickly shoves her phone in her pocket and gives the tiny living room a once over before opening the front door. Down the flight of stairs she sees her girlfriend huffing and struggling to help her brother up, his immobilized leg doing very little to assist in their efforts.
"Come on…" Arizona grunts, taking most of her brother's weight over her shoulders. "One at a time."
Tim makes it another step but knocks his cast into the railing and cries, "OW! Damn it! …Could you like not!"
"You're lucky I don't hogtie you and hoist you up by your ankles." The blonde growls in responds, a strong gust of winter air hitting them both square in the face. "So how about you just shut the hell up."
It's slow going but they finally make it to the front door hidden around the back of Joe's. Both are sweating and exhausted just from the short trip from the hospital, and when Cody and Arizona lead Tim to the old and stained couch, he collapses back on it with a thump.
Blue eyes skim the small apartment and Tim says, "Really? This is where we're staying?"
"Yes." Arizona answers shortly, still not over the fight they had four days ago.
"It's a shit hole." Her brother sneers, propping his broken leg up on the rickety coffee table in front of him.
Green eyes dart to her girlfriend and Cody waits for Arizona to explode, but instead the blonde just takes a deep breath and says, "It's what we got. …Now, Dr. Torres says you need to take it easy for a few weeks. Which means you're staying in this apartment." Tim is about to object but his sister cuts him off. "I'm working my ass off to make this work, Tim. So I expect at least a little help from you with this. …Specifically you not trying to go down those stairs and end up having another heart attack. Or slipping on some ice and cracking your head open. …Think you can do that?"
All she gets from her brother is a snarl, but Arizona knows that is his MO for when he's backed into a corner, so she continues, "I work six nights a week in the bar right below us so we'll have at least a little money to get by but we need to talk about your truck."
"My truck?" Tim questions. "What about it?"
"We need to sell it." Arizona answers sharply.
A beat passes in which matching blue eyes stare at each other, and then the man breaks out in laughter. But then he sees his sister not laughing, and asks, "Wait, you're serious? No. No! You're not selling my truck."
"We need to the money." The blonde sighs.
"Then sell your piece of shit." Her brother rebuts.
Arizona can feel her last nerve wearing very thin, nearly snapping, and replies, "Were you dropped on your head as an infant or are you just dense? We need money for Momma. I've paid her bills up til this month but you know what her home has said. She misses one month's fee and they can kick her out. …Now, are you prepared to care for a nearly 65 year old woman who has Alzheimers? Because I'm sure as hell ain't. I got enough on my plate with you and my job and the trying to figure out how I'm going to pay for your hospital bills."
"What?" Tim asks, but Arizona doesn't hear him.
"You've got the nicer truck, Tim, which means it's worth more. I know it's your baby, but we need the money." The blonde says.
"Wait, what do you mean paying for my hospital bills?" Her brother asks again and Arizona immediately bites her tongue. She hadn't yet told him that part of it all and now wishes she would have just kept her mouth shut.
"It's… there's a slight problem with your insurance through the tour." The blonde replies weakly, giving Cody a glare that tells her to keep her mouth shut. "I'm sure it will all work out but there are some bills that we'll have to pay ourselves."
Tim can tell his sister isn't telling him everything but knows better than to try and pry it out of her. That would only make Arizona clam up tighter, so he says, "…Fine. Sell the damn truck."
"Thank you." Arizona sighs, then glances at the clock on the wall and finds that she is due downstairs. "Ok, so there are two bedrooms. You've got the one with the frame; Cody and I are taking the one with the mattress on the floor. There is some healthy, high fiber, low salt food in the fridge. Umm, all we got is basic cable but T is shipping us your PS3 from home so it should be here in a couple days. Until then… you're just going to have to make due." With a tight smile, Arizona quickly kisses Cody and promises to be back sometime early the next morning before slipping back into the harsh winter air and making her short trip to her job.
Tim and Cody sit in silence for a minute, neither really fans of the other, but when the Aussie suddenly jumps to her feet, the man asks, "Where are you going?"
"Out." Cody answers with a smile of her own. Without another word the woman pulls on her coat and steps out the same door her girlfriend did only five minutes ago while her fingers furiously type out a text.
How about now?
A tanned hand knocks on the door to the chief of surgery's office and peeks a head in. "Chief?" She calls, making the older woman look up from whatever she was reading.
"Ah, Dr. Torres. Come in." Ellis replies, gesturing for the doctor to take a seat. It's not often that Callie is called to the principal's office, and ever since she got the message summoning her the Latina has been trying to think of what the reason might be. But Dr. Grey doesn't make her sweat too long and quickly says, "You've recently discharged a Timothy Robbins, is that correct?"
The suddenness of her question makes Callie falter for a second, but answers, "Uh… yeah. Four- no five days ago." She waits as Ellis flips through a copy of her patient's chart, and asks, "Is there a problem?"
"Any reason as to why the patient or his family would file a lawsuit against you or the hospital?" Grey keeps up her questioning.
"N… No. Why? …What's all this about?" The surgeon tries again. "Has there been a-"
Again the chief just plows ahead, talking over her Head of Cardiothoracics. "So you're sure that you haven't made a mistake in his care or treatment? Nothing that could come back and-"
"NO." Callie states again, this time with power. So much so that Ellis actually looks up from the chart in front of her and finds the surgeon's gaze. "I'd like to know why I'm being questioned like this. Has a suit been filed?"
"No." Ellis replies while taking off her reading glasses. "I'm just covering all the bases here, Dr. Torres. I was informed today that Mr. Robbins insurance isn't going to cover his care pertaining to your services so I'm just ensuring that there is no way he could flip it all around and try to make some money out of all of this." The chief continues to talk but Callie tunes out to her bosses ranting because all she can do is ask herself why Arizona never confided this to her. And for some reason… it upsets Callie.
It clouds her mind for the rest of her shift despite her best tries to forget about it. The doctor even tries to call Arizona on her cell, hoping that a quick conversation would clear everything up, but all she gets is voice mail. So when her husband calls Callie to inform her that he will be late in picking her up for their scheduled date night, the Latina decides to make use of her extra time and confront the blonde in person.
As soon as she steps her high heeled foot into the door of Joe's, brown eyes find the blonde working behind the bar. Callie has stopped questioning why she's upset that Arizona didn't confide in her because the more she kept digging, the more confused the Latina got. So now she's just mad. …No, not mad. Hurt.
Serving two beers to a couple of bar flies she's seen every night she's worked here, Arizona moves down the bar to take the next order only to find Callie Torres standing there. A dimpled smile appears instantly and the blonde's day has been made. The fact that the Latina is in the most beautiful dress Arizona has ever seen is just icing on the top.
"Wow." Arizona breathes out just loud enough to be heard over the low drum of the rest of the bar. "Dr. Torres, you look ama-"
"Why didn't you tell me?" Callie cuts the woman off.
"What?" The blonde asks in confusion.
"Why didn't you tell me about your insurance?" The Latina explains, watching as realization hits Arizona and that smile slowly falling from her face. "Why didn't you tell me that it was my call that negated the insurance for Tim?"
"Because it's none of your business." Arizona replies sharply. She sees Joe watching her from the corner of her eye and grabs a clean wine glass, feigning that she is filling a customer's order.
"Arizona…" Callie sighs. She's at a loss. She wants to help this woman, for some inexplicable reason. But it feels like Arizona is trying to push her away. "I… I want to help. Why didn't you ask me to help?"
"It wasn't my place, alright?" The blonde snaps, sliding a glass of red wine in front of the doctor. Their gazes meet and just for a second they forget that they are in a crowded bar. "Because… I know that if I had asked you to change the reason for Tim's attack… you would have. And that's not right." Callie tries to find something to say, but there is nothing because Arizona is right. She would have said it was due to Tim's injury from riding, that it stemmed from his broken leg. She would have perjured herself, and willfully so, just to give Arizona a break.
And it's almost as if the blonde can read every thought flying through her mind, and whiling pushing the untouched glass of wine closer to Callie she says, "So… it's ok. Tim and I? We'll make it."
Their fingertips touch atop the base of the wine glass, and neither makes a move to pull away. It's only when a hand finds the small of her back does Callie break their gaze, turning to find the dark brown eyes of her husband.
"Max." She gasps in surprise, quickly covering it with her usual placeholder smile. "I-I thought you said you were going to be late." And the Latina doesn't miss how Arizona uses this time to slink down the bar, busying herself with another customers order.
"I am. This deal your father has me working on is utterly ridiculous." He replies gruffly, checking his watch. "I called ahead and had the reservation pushed back but we need to go now if we're going to make it at all."
"Right." Callie replies, turning back towards the bar and finding blue eyes watching her. Arizona tosses her white towel over her shoulder and approaches, forcing a smile on her face. "Um… Honey, this is Arizona Robbins. Arizona, this is my husband, Maximiliano."
The blonde proffers her hand, saying "Pleasure."
But Max is too busy to hear or even notice the introduction his wife gave, and instead places a twenty dollar bill in the bartender's waiting hand. "Thanks." He says in a condescending tone before gently taking hold of his wife by the crook of her arm and mumbling, "Let's go."
Disgusted by the way her husband just treated Arizona, Callie snaps, "No." She pulls her arm out of his grasp, but not in a way that would attract attention. Brown eyes travel back to the blonde behind the bar and sees Arizona holding the twenty in her fingers like it's diseased.
"What?" Max asks, oblivious to how either of the two women are feeling at this exact moment.
And because she's been married to him so long, Callie knows that trying to correct his behavior right now would only result in a very bad night, so she says, "Meet me at the door." They stand at a stalemate for a second but finally Max concedes and heads back towards the way he came in.
As soon as he is out of ear shot Callie says, "I'm so sorry."
A forced smile appears on Arizona's face and the blonde replies, "It's fine."
"No, Arizona… It isn't." The Latina rebuts. She wants to say more but the crowd at Joe's has been steadily growing since she walked in and Arizona is becoming swamped with orders. "I'm… I'm sorry." When the blonde doesn't say anything, Callie adds, "Um, thanks for the drink. Have a good night."
The surgeon takes a step into the crowd but stops when Arizona calls, "Dr. Torres!" The dress clad woman slowly turns, giving the bartender another unobstructed view of her figure. It's not the same as seeing her without make up with her soft robe wrapped around her body, but Arizona places this vision of Callie Torres at a very close number two.
Forcing air back into her lungs, Arizona smiles and says, "You look beautiful tonight." She risks giving Callie the smallest of winks before getting back to the very demanding customers before they start to riot.
It wasn't much. Just four words, a little wink, but it does something to Callie. It's all she thinks about during the silent drive to the restaurant, which was picked out by Max. And it's all she thinks about while the wine is ordered, which was chosen by Max. In fact Callie's mind is in a fog for nearly their entire dinner. She hums and nods at the appropriate places but nothing her husband is saying draws any interest from Callie. It's just the same thing as it always is. Work. Work. And even more work.
But when the man breaks from tradition and takes interest in his wife, her brain snaps to attention in a flash. "What?" She asks, knowing a question was directed at her but not having heard it at all.
"I asked… Is everything alright, dear? You've been pushing your food around your plate for the last half hour." Max states, taking a sip at the most expensive wine the restaurant had.
And before she can even process the words that are forming on her tongue, she replies, "I want to take a case pro-bono." Not only is the surgeon herself stunned by her statement, but Max is as well. Callie quickly covers her shock and adds, "I know there are channels that it needs to go through, and I know you're a part of those channels. So I'm telling you… I want to take a case pro-bono, and I want you to support me in doing so."
Max chews on her comment for a second then asks, "Why?"
"Why?" Callie parrots, her voice rising in disbelief. "Why am I asking my husband to support me on something that I want to do?"
"No." The man rebuts, lowering his tone in a way Callie knows he is trying to take control of the conversation. "Why pro-bono? Why now?"
"One of my patients…" The Latina starts, trying to figure out how to phrase it without saying too much while also saying everything she needs to. "His financial situation isn't good and… he has, well had a genetic cardiac condition that required multiple surgeries and extensive stay in the hospital. And…" As she thinks about it, she finds it difficult to come up with a reason other than 'it's Arizona'.
"And…" Max prompts when his wife leaves her sentence hanging a second too long.
"And why shouldn't I?" Callie says, flipping the conversation. "I mean, I know the hospital sets aside money for pro-bono work. …Not to mention the money cut from my research grant and my department budget. I just… I think I have one coming to me, don't I? Don't I have a free pass? I don't want a new piece of equipment or more nurses, I want to take this case pro-bono. I want to help someone who really needs it. …Someone who deserves just a small break in life."
And then she waits for the judgment, feeling those dark brown eyes staring at her as Max weighs his options. He gets a sick sense of pleasure from know that even though Callie is at the top of her field, she still has to bow to his decision only because of the money the man invests. He would never say it out loud, but the reason he put so much money into his wife's place of work is to ensure that even there, in her playing field, Max still has the power.
But he's no fool, and he knows when to give just as much as he knows when to take. So with a smile, he says, "We'll see." It's not exactly what Callie was hoping for but it's better than nothing. "There's a board meeting tomorrow night. Prepare something for us and I'll see what I can do about getting the others on board."
The rest of the night goes by in a blur much like the beginning, only this time Callie isn't thinking about Arizona telling her she is beautiful. This time the surgeon is going over her speech, trying to decide how to present the information and how to best play up Tim's need. She's never been someone who excels at public speaking, and the thought of having to get up and talk in front of the seven board members who pretty much rule the hospital is enough to make her sick. But she's set on doing it, and not giving up until she wins. …No matter the cost.
Back home Callie sends Lolita home with an extra tip in thanks for staying late, then peeks in to see her kids sleeping like angels. It's the usual chain of events that happen on their date night, which means something else is in store tonight before Callie can go to sleep.
Standing in front of the mirror of their large ensuite bathroom, Callie washes the days stress from her face and runs a brush through her silky raven locks. Thoughts of a certain blonde creep into her mind as she performs her nightly ritual as always, and it doesn't even occur to her to find it odd that Arizona was the only one who complimented her tonight.
Another reflection appears in the mirror in front of her and Callie's gaze drifts up to find her husband's. "Well…" He sighs, seeing the purely content smile on his wife's face. "Someone enjoyed tonight." Max mumbles, stepping closer to the woman and laying his hands on her hips. Callie just hums, not about to tell her husband that she was thinking about someone else entirely.
"You know what we haven't done in a while?" The man asks, those hands beginning to roam the expanse of silky material covering the Latina's body. If his suggestive tone wasn't enough to tip Callie off, the growing bulge being ground into her backside clears all doubt.
Heated lips attack at Callie's neck, a rough and bristly chin scratching at her skin. "Max, honey…" Callie growls, trying to push back against the strength of her husband. "Let's go to bed."
"No." He replies. "Right here." And Callie doesn't fight it when a large hand snakes around the front of her and undoes the knot, allowing the robe to fall off her. That same hand travels south and buries between her parted legs, rubbing roughly and wildly at anything he can find. "Spread your legs, Calliope." Max says as he pulls his growing member from his shorts. It's been a long time since he and his wife have made love somewhere besides the bedroom, and as he enters her Max groans in pleasure. …But the only thing Callie can think is that maybe this will give her some brownie points going into that board meeting tomorrow.
A buzz saw whines and tiny particles of plaster billow into the air as an orthopedic resident begins to remove Tim's month old cast. Arizona watches from the corner of the room, but when his leg meets fresh air for the first time, the blonde nearly gags from the smell.
"Oh good lord…" Arizona groans, "That's disgusting." Even from a few feet away the smell of dead skin and mold makes her cringe. "I… I'll wait outside." She says weakly then leaves the exam room. Being back in the hospital isn't exactly what she planned on doing during her one day off she has this week, but Tim's leg was due for a check. And since that is something the Tour and his insurance will cover, Arizona plans on taking full use of it. As far as she is concerned, they can cut off and replace his cast everyday just so long as the bill goes directly to the PBR.
Just down the hall Arizona plops down in a chair next to her girlfriend, who just so happens to lock her phone, and the blonde sighs, "God, I hate hospitals…" And Arizona has a reason to. She's yet to have a pleasant experience in one, save for Tim actually living despite his heart giving out on him twice.
When Cody doesn't respond blue eyes glance to the woman next to her and Arizona asks, "You ok?"
"Yeah." The Aussie answers with a smile. "I'm fine." That word sends up a flag but Arizona doesn't question her because that's not their relationship. They don't talk to each other like that, they don't stay up late and have heartfelt pillow talk. They don't pry into one another's emotions. And if she's perfectly honest with herself, Arizona doesn't exactly know when they went from sex buddies to girlfriends.
So instead of pressing Cody to explain, Arizona says, "I'm gonna go get some coffee. You want anything?"
"No, thanks though, baby." The foreigner replies.
On her trip to the coffee cart she's visited more times than she can count while Tim was in the hospital, a blonde haired and blue eyed doctor passes her going the opposite way, Arizona unaware of the fact that that doctor is on her way to meet a certain Australian woman. She's oblivious to everything happening around her nowadays, more focused on the important things right in front of her. Like paying the ever growing hospital bills Tim is racking up, and trying to find money to keep her mother from getting kicked out of her nursing home.
But as the woman stands in line at the coffee cart a smooth and smoky laugh draws her attention. Blue eyes immediately find the magical creature creating the sound, and even from across the large open-aired lobby Callie Torres knocks the wind from Arizona's lungs. The gorgeous smile that seems so effortless, brown eyes rich with life. …Long, silky hair with airy curls framing her beautiful face. Each and every time Arizona sees the brilliant surgeon she knows she's falling harder and harder for her. This woman hasn't just taken over her conscious mind, but her subconscious mind as well. Dreams that were once filled with riding horses and fighting bulls, of large land and skies, are now made up of Callie Torres. And Arizona doesn't even try to fight it.
The memory of last night replays in her mind, the way Callie looked in her dress and how heavy her sadness weighed her voice. That touch they shared for far too little time. …And then the arrival of her husband. Arizona was reminded again of her station in life, that she is the 'help' and they… Callie and her family… are the upper crust. Two completely separate worlds.
But still… that touch, the way Callie looked at Arizona after dismissing her husband. Maybe the blonde is just imagining things but she could have sworn there was something in that look. The warmth in those deep brown eyes… Is it possible that the Latina, a married, straight woman who has two kids, might feel… something? Something other than friendship towards Arizona?
And just as Arizona is building her hopes up that she might actually have the smallest sliver of a chance, Max appears from around the corner and the married couple kiss sweetly. In that instant Arizona's stomach drops and she fights the urge to look away. …Because she needs to see this. She needs to see Callie kiss her husband, needs to see the woman affectionately straighten Max's tie and laugh at something he says. She needs to see the man guide his wife by the small of her back towards a waiting conference room. She needs to see it because Arizona needs to realize that her dreams are just that… they are dreams.
Which is why later that night it is Arizona who first kisses Cody, whose hands drift to the hem of her girlfriend's shirt. And an already fired up Cody, thanks to a small run in with a certain trauma surgeon earlier that day, quickly complies. Within a matter of a few minutes both blondes have been stripped down to where just a single layer separates them from each other. Cody is taken by surprise by how passionate Arizona has suddenly turned, almost as if her girlfriend is trying to make love to someone else all together.
"Hey…" Cody whispers, softly cupping her girlfriend's face as Arizona hovers above her. Blue eyes are dark with fire and she stares down at the Aussie with need, giving Cody the push to say, "Marry me."
Those same eyes that were heavy and fiery quickly go wide in shock, and Arizona asks, "W-what?"
The blonde below her stretches up and take parted pink lips in a deep kiss before Cody replies, "If we get married it will keep me in the states. …And I don't want to leave. So… Let's get married." And those words are like a bucket of cold water being drenched on Arizona.
She rolls off her girlfriend and sits up, trying to force her brain to catch up to what has just happened. A warm body presses against hers from behind, Cody's lips trailing softly down the back of Arizona's neck. It's too confusing, the desire to numb the image of Callie from her mind with sex and the sheer suddenness of her girlfriend's request. She should say no, just flat out say no. Arizona doesn't want to get married, least of all to a woman who was supposed to be just a one night stand. But… really, why shouldn't she help Cody stay in the states. It's not like Arizona was planning on marrying anyone else anyways.
And Cody seems to have that same thought because she says, "I know we're not there yet, baby. But… you don't want me to have to go back to Australia, do you?" She waits for a response but Arizona is too lost in her own train of thought to answer, so Cody continues, "It's no big deal. We'll just be married long enough for me to get my green card and then… whatever. People do it all the time. …Come on, baby. Do this for me…" Those soft lips continue to trail up and around Arizona's neck until they find the corner of her girlfriend's mouth. Feather light kisses pull the blonde into another, deeper embrace, and Arizona pushes Cody back onto the mattress again to pick up where they left off. …Without answering her girlfriend's question.