Pay It Forward: Chapter 7
Amanda had taken Callie to some really fancy restaurant, the type that seemed that you needed reservations weeks earlier. It was a really nice date, Amanda was amazing, she was funny, smart, a little quirky, which Callie found kinda cute, but there still wasn't that instant connection. And what else had bothered Callie was that she kept comparing Amanda to Arizona. How Arizona was funnier, prettier, friendlier. But Callie was also positive that if she went out more with Amanda, these thoughts would disappear. Or that's what she hoped.
Mark had also called Callie during the date, but she had ignored him, he could talk to her when she got back home.
Amanda dropped Callie off at her apartment, and with a quick goodbye peck, she was on her way.
As Callie opened the door to her apartment, she saw Arizona sitting on the couch with Mark and Teddy. Arizona just looked confused, while Mark and Teddy both looked a little wary.
"Okay, what happened?" Callie asked expecting this to be some joking matter.
"Callie, um, there's something we have to tell you," Mark said.
Seeing the completely serious expressions on his and Teddy's faces, Callie was getting a bit worried. Was there something wrong with Arizona? Did she get even worse?
"Guys, just tell me, I'm starting to freak? What going on?"
"Please sit down," Teddy started.
Callie quickly sit down because she couldn't take the waiting anymore.
"Okay, come on spit it out!" Callie insisted.
"Well, uh, Erica is back," Mark quickly said.
For a quick second, she thanked God that it wasn't about Arizona. But just as soon as that thought made itself present, it went away and was replaced with dread.
Her ex, the ex that just left without a word, was back. But what for?
"What do you mean back? Like for good?" Callie asked sheepishly.
"She is trying to get her job back." Teddy said, "But the chief won't let her be head, so if she still wants a job here, the chief offered her an attending position." Teddy explained.
Callie wasn't even paying attention after she heard Teddy say that Erica was probably back for good. How could she come back? Was she back just for the job, or could she be back for her too?
Callie looked at all them, Mark looked really mad and sorry, Teddy looked very sympathetic, while Arizona showed a mixture of anger and sadness.
"No, no, no. This isn't happening. She can't be back."
Callie was trying to explain to herself that what they were telling her was untrue. Getting over Erica was a lot easier if Erica wasn't here. Erica being here wasn't a good thing. Callie had loved Erica. They were together and happy. When Erica first left, she had begged whoever was listening out there to bring Erica back. But as time went by, she had thought of Erica less and less everyday. Callie was dating again, and moving on.
"Cal, I'm so sorry, but she is. And she's staying." Mark said with conviction.
Teddy wouldn't tell Arizona what was going on at all. She had told Arizona that once Callie got home, they would both hear what what's going on.
Finding out that the ex that hurt Callie so badly was back made Arizona feel a lot of stuff. She was angry with this Erica. How could she hurt Callie? But she was also worried. Someone that Callie had some major history with was back, and possibly wanting Callie back. That left little room for her in Callie's life, despite their marriage.
xxxxxxx
Mark and Teddy had left, leaving Callie and Arizona to themselves. Callie still shocked and confused, and Arizona less than pleased.
"Callie? Are you okay?" Arizona asked. "Wait, stupid question, of course you're not. I'm sorry."
Callie looked up at Arizona with sad eyes,
"Arizona, can we please just not talk about it, please." Callie pleaded.
"Yeah, that's fine. No need to talk about anything. We can just chill here, and not talk. Ya know, nothing wrong with not talking," Arizona rambled.
Callie chuckled a little at Arizona's rambling, something she always thought was adorable.
"You know what we could do? We could just veg out. Yeah that's what we'll do, I'll go to the supermarket and you pick out a movie, any movie you want in fact. You wanna just do that?" Arizona asked.
Callie pondered this for just a second, she didn't want to talk, and she didn't want to go to sleep this early. So Arizona's suggestion seemed pretty good. Not to mention that she knew just being with Arizona would probably help her feel at least a bit better.
"You know what, that sounds amazing right about now." Callie replied.
"Great, okay than. I'll be right back. Any special requests?" Arizona asked.
"Just the usual," Callie replied.
"Okay then, and I'm in the mood for some Hot Cheetos," Arizona quickly said hoping Callie wouldn't notice.
Arizona wasn't really allowed to have any kind of junk food according to Callie. She wanted Arizona to be as healthy as possible, and the less junk he better. Callie also loved to tease Arizona, she would show off the fact that she could eat whatever she wanted and all Arizona could do was watch.
"Ah, ah, ah, I don't think so. I may be a little out of it at the moment, but not enough to forget you're diabetic." Callie chuckled.
"Well you made me that way," Arizona whined, "It isn't my fault you decided to let them cut off half of my pancreas."
Arizona also always played that card when Callie wouldn't let her eat what she wanted. She knew she wasn't supposed to eat the way she did, but she would always insist on it because she loved to see Callie stop her. This was Arizona's assurance that Callie cared for her.
"Well, you shouldn't have grown a cyst there," Callie retorted.
This was exactly why she liked Arizona so much. She always would make her feel better and laugh, no matter how she felt. And Callie really needed to feel better.
With that Arizona was on her way out the door and on to the supermarket.
xxxxxxx
Callie had picked a Saw movie, she didn't want anything nearly romantic, and so she went for gruesome.
They were almost done with the movie. While they had started on opposite ends of the couches, they gradually moved toward each other as the movie progressed.
Arizona wasn't a huge fan of horror, but she could hold her own. But when things would pop out of nowhere, or something especially horrendous would show up, she would yelp and grab for Callie, something that sent shivers through both of them. But Arizona also had to admit that during most of the movie, her thoughts were mostly on Callie. She would occasionally scoot back and just look at Callie. Albeit it could've been considered weird to anyone else, but how could people not just want to look at Callie. Callie was beautiful inside and out.
Once the movie ended, they cleaned up, put everything away and said goodnight.
As they were each lying in bed thinking about what would happen next.
Arizona wanted to know if the little hope she had at being with Callie was gone. Erica was back, and Callie might go back to her right? But Arizona could only wish otherwise.
Callie was thinking about Arizona and Erica. How her growing feelings for Arizona were refusing to settle down, and her buried feelings for Erica were unwilling to stay buried. Erica was back, but why?
xxxxxxx
Callie was standing outside of the hospital with Arizona. Although Callie didn't ask, Arizona knew that she needed some moral support to start her day.
"Callie you got this, okay? Just show her who's boss! Which by the way is you." Arizona joked.
"Yeah, I got this. So what if she's back?" Callie was reasoning with herself.
"Exactly," Arizona confirmed.
But they stood there for a good five minutes before Callie finally found it within herself to go inside the hospital.
They both hadn't noticed that they were holding hands during their mini pep talk, but they both reluctantly let go, as Callie began to walk in.
"Good luck Calliope!" Arizona said to Callie's fading figure.
xxxxxxx
So far, Callie hadn't seen Erica, which was a very good thing, because she really didn't know what to say if Erica had confronted her.
But her luck sure ran out as Erica was making her way towards her next to the nurse's station.
"Callie," Erica called out in a whisper.
Callie turned to face her,
"Dr. Hahn,"
Callie hadn't seen Erica for a long time. But she still looked just as good as she remembered. Although her hair seemed duller as Callie saw herself comparing it to Arizona's, and her eyes were no where near as bright at Arizona's either. Comparing the girls she would meet with Arizona was something Callie always subconsciously did. And Arizona always won. Including with Erica.
Finally seeing Erica brought a sort of familiarity and comfortableness that Callie really wished wasn't there. She truly believed she had loved Erica. Erica was Callie's first, she showed her what she had really wanted in a partner. So Callie couldn't, as much as she wanted to, deny that she might still have unwanted feelings for the blonde standing in front of her.
"Callie, can we please talk?" Erica asked pleadingly.
"No, no Erica, we can't talk because there's nothing to talk about." Callie replied.
"Callie, please, I'm sorry, I know I'm a horrible person. I just need to talk to you, explain myself a little."
"What is there to explain Erica? You left, without a word, you packed everything up and left me!" Callie exclaimed angrily.
People were starting to pay more attention to them now as Callie's voice was raised. And the last thing either of them wanted was any gossip to spread about them. Callie marrying a patient was still one that people liked to talk about, adding a cat fight with her long lost ex was definitely something she would rather avoid.
"Look, I know. I really need to talk to you, and I'd rather do it in private, but I'll do it here where everyone can hear as well if that's what it takes for you to hear me out."
Not wanting to cause a scene, Callie conceded,
"Fine," Callie said and allowed herself to follow Erica to an empty exam room.
"First, I want to know why you came back." Callie said.
Was it for her? Or did Erica truly leave whatever feelings she had for Callie behind.
"I came back for many reasons. One of which being you. I want another chance Callie. We were good together. We were happy." Erica replied.
Callie didn't know what to feel. Angry at Erica for expecting her to take her back? Relieved that Erica was sorry over leaving her? Confused on what she should do next?
"Erica, you seriously can't expect us to be anything after what you did. I'm moving on, and I'm dating again. I am happy." Callie replied.
"You're moving on, meaning you haven't yet. I want to move on too. But with you, I want to make things better than they were. I love you Callie," Erica pleaded.
"Then why'd you leave? If you loved me, why on earth would you leave?" Callie asked.
She had always wanted to know why Erica left. Was she not good enough for her? Did Erica not really love Callie? Was everything she felt for Erica unreciprocated?
"I was scared. I know that's not a good answer, and it probably sounds like a cop out. But I was terrified. You are amazing and beautiful. And I was lucky to have you. But I was sure that you were going to end us, I was sure that you were going to break my heart. We were becoming more distant, and I would see less and less of you everyday. So I thought I would save myself the heartache and just end it. But I didn't know how, so I left." Erica explained hurriedly.
"You were scared of us not being together, so you made us not be together? Do you have any idea how stupid that sounds?" Callie asked.
She wasn't expecting that to be Erica's answer. And honestly, she didn't know what to expect.
"I know, I finally realized how stupid I was, so I came back." Erica said.
"Erica, no. I can't forgive you for this so easily. You could have just talked to me. And like I said, I am dating someone."
Taking Erica back was something that hadn't crossed Callie's mind till now. And during this whole conversation, Callie thought of only one other person, and it wasn't Amanda. What would happen with Arizona? Should she tell Erica that she was married? Did this change anything about how she felt for the shorter blonde?
"Callie, I love you. And I know you love me too. Please, that girl you're dating has nothing on us." Erica said pointing between them. "I will do whatever it takes to get you back.
But that's just it, did Callie still love Erica? Or was her heart stolen by a completely different blonde?
xxxxxxx
Later on in the day, Arizona thought she should stop by and see this Erica for herself, and to check up on Callie as well. What she knew about Erica so far, from Mark and Teddy, was that she was also a cardio-thoracic surgeon, that she was un-cheerful, and often times could be interpreted as cold. But she was also brilliant, smart and attractive.
She made her way to the Cardio wing for the second day in a row now, hoping that things were just a little better than the day before. But before she saw Teddy, someone else approached her.
"Hey, Blondie." Mark called for her.
"Why hello there, Doctor Sloan," Arizona teased.
"Listen, you know a certain someone is back. And she isn't going anywhere anytime soon. So I feel that it is my duty to inform you about a few things considering you are now living with Callie, and married to her." Mark explained.
"Okay," Arizona replied, not really knowing what to expect.
"Okay, well. Erica in the simplest term is a downright bitch. She is cold, mean and has a major ego, which by the way is warranted by her reputation. Nonetheless, she has a complex. But Callie changed her a little. She became borderline decent, and became less of a heartless person. And truthfully, they weren't that bad with together. But when she left Callie, she broke her. Callie wasn't herself for the longest time. And honestly if you don't mind me saying this, she has been especially happy since you guys became friends."
Hearing this from Callie's best friend warmed Arizona's heart. Because Callie being happy was all she wanted, granted being happy with her was what she was aiming for, but happy nevertheless.
"And me and Yang were there to help her. So with Erica being back, I really need you to just be there. She won't want to talk about it, and she'll try to play it off as no big deal, but with you, I think she'll talk to you." Mark finished.
Mark knew Arizona had feelings for Callie, feelings that he wished Callie would admit to as well. But out of his friendship to the blonde, he wouldn't say anything Arizona had shared with him in confidence. Arizona was good for Callie in his opinion. So this Erica situation needed to be resolved and forgotten.
"Actually, I was just going to check up on her now. And Mark I promise, I want nothing other than what's best for Callie. If she needs me, I'll be there. But I don't think she'll talk to me about it."
"She will, Blondie. I know it. Now please by all means, go check up on your wife." Mark joked.
Arizona lightly laughed, and went to the ortho wing. Ready to be whatever her wife needed her to be.
