Ta-da... Another update because it was rough leaving you guys hanging.
In this chapter Callie breifly talks about an abusive situation as she also does in the upcoming chapters. I will try my best to warn you when these situations occur.
To the guest who asked if I had more stories than the three stories posted, sorry, but I do not.
Chapter 8
When the light came on, Arizona pulled her face away from the woman hovering over her. "Callie?" She called after her. "Shit," sighing, she leaned back on her pillow when the door closed. She couldn't believe she had let sex deter her worry about the woman's whereabouts. "Damn it."
"Who the fuck was that?" The woman looked back down at the blonde before trying to kiss down her neck.
"Get off," she said, pushing the blonde off her. "You need to go."
"We just got started. We can't quit now."
"Yes I can. Now get out."
"What the fuck. You pursued me and when it starts going somewhere you fucking kick me out because some ugly ass bitch walked in?"
"You watch your goddamn mouth," Arizona threw her shirt in her face. "Get the hell out."
"Who in the hell was that woman?" She asked again. "Was that your girlfriend?" She questioned, sitting up in the bed as she watched the blonde pull her clothes on. "Wait, were you using me to get back at her?"
"No she's not my girlfriend. Now for the last time, put your damn clothes on," Arizona huffed, thanking God she was still half dressed. Why the hell did she have to try to prove a point to Teddy and April.
She didn't know why, but she felt bad and embarrassed that Callie had caught her in the act. As far as the blonde knew, the brunette thought she was straight and now she had some explaining to do. "Hurry the hell up," she hissed.
"Damn, you looked so sweet and innocent. Who would have known you were such a bitch," the woman said, pulling her pants on and walking down the stairs of the woman's apartment.
"Fuck you," Arizona said, throwing open the door of the fire station. "I'd suggest you not show your face at Betty's again unless want your ass whipped," Arizona snarled at her as she rushed passed her out on the street.
Callie was sitting down on a bench near the blondes apartment just as she heard voices and the building door opening. She didn't turn and look, but she knew the woman was walking towards her down the block. "Go enjoy your fucking dyke," she spat at the brunette as she walked closer to her. Callie's eyes widened at the woman's words. It was a shock to her that the blonde was gay. She would have never suspected Arizona as a lady lover because she never once ogled her as far as she knew and she'd be damned if some random woman was going to run her mouth about the blonde.
Callie wasn't a vindictive person, but when the woman walked by she couldn't help but stick her foot out to cause the woman to trip and fall forward to the ground. She wasn't going to stand for someone calling Arizona such a vicious name no matter what. "Watch yourself."
"What the fuck, you bitch," she said, raising up off the ground, casting her gaze at the brunette.
"Hey," Arizona ran out on the street barefooted when she saw the woman closing in on Callie. "Get the fuck out of here," Arizona pointed down the street as Callie moved behind her and gripped onto her shirt.
"Fuck you both," she said, picking her purse off the ground before retreating down the pathway to hail a cab.
"You okay?" Arizona turned around and faced the brunette. Slightly embarrassed because she had caused this mess when she promised that she'd be waiting on her.
"Yeah. Are you?"
"Yeah," she sighed, turning and watching the woman get into a cab. "Why did you trip her?"
"Because," Callie shrugged. "She called you a dyke." She looked down at her feet, not wanting to meet the woman's gaze.
"Oh," Arizona exhaled. "Come on. Let's go home, I think we need to talk," she said, turning and walking back down the street to her apartment.
"Yeah," Callie hesitated before following the blonde quietly into the building and up the stairs.
"I'm glad you're home, I was worried all evening," Arizona said, walking into the kitchen area and grabbing two waters from the fridge. "Even though it didn't seem like it when you got back. I'm sorry," she offered the brunette a water.
"It's okay."
"No it's not. It was selfish of me," she said, sitting down on the couch. "I don't know where to start first," she breathed. "I don't know if I should ask you how things went or explain myself."
"Uhh.." Callie wasn't sure if it was safe to say or even question anything. She didn't want to upset the blonde.
"Is there anything..." She shrugged. "..you want to ask me?"
"You're..."
"A lesbian?" Arizona said, after Callie paused. "Yeah," she said when the Latina nodded. "I'm sorry, I didn't tell you. I wasn't sure how you'd take it after I dragged you to my place that night."
"Well, it explains why you laughed like that when I asked if you'd be having a boyfriend over." Callie looked over at the blonde.
"Yeah," she couldn't help but let a small laugh out. "No guys. Period," she said, seeing that it looked like she was fighting within herself not to ask questions. "It's okay, Callie. You can ask me anything you're thinking. I'll be honest with you," she said, hoping she didn't scare her off.
"I don't know what to ask," she shrugged.
"Do I make you uncomfortable now?" The blonde asked, taking a drink of her water. "I know some people are fine with it, while others are not so much."
"Umm.. no. You're still you, right?"
"I'm the exact same person I was when I left for work this morning. Nothing changed except you now know the truth about me."
"Is that all? Your secrets I mean?"
"I wouldn't call it a secret. Everyone knew except you. But now you do." She shrugged, not sure how Callie was feeling about it now.
"I'm sorry, I barged in."
"Don't be. Turns out she was a major bitch," she scoffed.
"Yeah, she was," Callie chuckled. "I'm not..uhh," she paused wanting to rephrase herself. "You aren't not bringing someone home because of me, are you? Because I don't want to intrude. This is your place and if you want to have someone over you can. You just have to say the word and I'll go out somewhere."
"No. No. You're not intruding. And this is our place now, not just mine."
"I'm serious. Don't mind me."
"Callie stop, I am dead serious," she said, not wanting the woman to feel out of place. "You're not invading."
"Okay," she whispered.
"The only reason I took her home was because my friends were bombarding me with questions. They think I have some secret lover or something staying with me," she huffed. "They're great, but really intrusive on my life."
"What makes them think that?"
"Well.." She looked down as the pup that was pawing to get up on the couch with them. "Quit." She smacked her hand down on the edge to get the dog away.
"Poseidon," Callie growled at the dog. "Bad dog." She said, as the animal kept digging at the sofa.
"Poussey," Arizona leaned up. "Stop."
"Dear god, Arizona," she shook her head when the dog backed down. "He only listens when you call him that now."
"Because that's his name," she shrugged with a laugh.
"Whatever," Callie chuckled and picked him up. "Back to your friends. Why are they intrusive?"
"I don't know. It's no secret I like women. All kinds of women... and they think it's ridiculous that I have had a lot of one night stands," she looked up at the brunette who had the dog laying still on her lap.
"Was tonight just a one night stand?" Callie questioned, looking up from the animal.
"Oh yeah," she looked down at her hands, before saying the next part. "I don't have anything but," she whispered, feeling ashamed at the moment that she said that to the brunette. She didn't want her to think she was some kind of slut even though that's what she felt like most times.
"Why?"
"That's a... a story for another day," she muttered.
"Oh.." she looked up, seeing the woman's regretful look. "Okay," she agreed. The Latina knew how it felt to not want to talk about something in particular so she wasn't going to press Arizona after she had been so patient with her.
"Please don't think bad of me."
"Listen, you saw one of my deepest darkest secrets at the winery and you didn't think bad of me. Did you?"
"No."
"And I don't you," she playfully pushed the blondes shoulder to lighten the mood. "You... haven't ever thought of me that way, have you?" The brunette questioned.
"What way?" Arizona furrowed her brows.
"You've never.. you know?" She shrugged, seeing if the blondes confused face. "Have you ever seen me as another mark on your bedpost?"
"No," she quickly answered. "Well.." She blushed, bitting her lip.
"You have," Callie laughed and smacked her on the arm.
"Ow.. Only when I first met you. I though you were pretty. Very pretty actually, and you let me know real quick that your husband was around," she chuckled. "But that was the only time. I don't think of you that way. I promise. I see you as one of my best friends."
"You do?" The brunette looked up at the blonde.
"Yeah, I do. I've been skipping out and canceling on my friends just so we can hang out here and watch Tv all day."
"You don't have to do that. Don't stop living your life because you feel you need to keep me company."
"I don't," Arizona insisted. "I actually look forward to just being lazy with you when I get home from work."
"You're becoming my best friend too," she blushed after hearing the blondes admission.
"My other friends know. Well, they think they know. Teddy and April think I have someone here staying."
"It was going to happen sooner or later, huh?" She said, still worried her husband would find out where she was staying, but she knew she couldn't live as a hermit much longer.
"Yeah. They've asked, but I've denied everything. I don't know how much longer they'll believe me. They tend to see right through me."
"Do you trust them? I mean really trust them enough to know Derek and Mark wouldn't rat me out to Mitch?" Callie nervously questioned. "I don't want him knowing I'm in Seattle, because as far as he is concerned I could be staying in Miami. That's where my family is from."
"They'd never do that," she shook her head. "Well, Derek wouldn't. I'd have to threaten to cut Mark's manhood off, but he'd eventually comply."
"The others?"
"The others probably couldn't pick Mitch out of a cop lineup. They were pretty sloshed that day."
"Yeah," she chuckled, thinking back to when she met her friends. "They seemed like good people."
"They really are. You'll love them. Maybe we could go have drinks with them soon?"
"Yeah, maybe," Callie nodded. "It would be nice to get out for a while."
"Yeah. Just say the word and we'll go one evening."
"Okay."
"I'm sorry I didn't get to ask when you came home, but I take it things went well tonight, but I didn't see any of your things?"
"Oh..." She breathed. "God Arizona," she shook her head. "I was so scared."
"Why?"
"He was there."
"Mitch was at the house?" Arizona's eyes widened, when the brunette confirmed. "Son of a bitch."
"Yeah. I managed to get all the way into master bedroom and I saw him in the bathroom," she sighed.
"What did you do?"
"Hell, I flew out the door. He knew I was there. He must have seen me leave the room because he was right on my heels, but I dashed out the door and down to the gate before he could see me."
"Did he say anything?" She questioned, seeing the brunette become shaken when she talked.
"The normal," she said, squeezing the bridge her nose, feeling tears coming. "'Where the fuck have you been? You're a bitch.' Then it turned to 'Sweetheart, I'm sorry please come home. I miss you,' and then he goes back to 'You're a piece of shit. I'll burn the house you're staying in down to the ground.'"
"Damn, Callie," she said, rubbing the woman's shoulder as the scorned woman chocked back a sob. "I'm so sorry."
"So am I," the brunette whispered.
"What about the kids? Did you see them?" Arizona asked. She still tried to bring them up every once in a while even thought the brunette would always brush the subject under the rug.
"No. They were in bed," she breathed. "I'm sorry I talked you out of coming," she mumbled, wiping the tears away that collected in her eyes.
"Well. If you ever go back, I'm going with you."
"He would probably try to kill you, Arizona."
"I'm not scared of him. If anything he should be scared of me."
"My life feels like a disaster," she began to cry.
"I'm sorry," the blonde said, pulling the woman in for a hug. "Everything will get better. I promise. You're not going back to that house without me."
"You can't. He'd hurt you," she mumbled into the woman's shoulder.
"I have a pistol under my truck seat. He won't hurt me."
"You have a gun?" Callie sniffed and pulled back from the hug.
"Yeah. I'm a Marines daughter. My father wasn't happy I moved to this big city, so he taught me how to protect myself," Arizona said, seeing the look of disdain on her face. "I'd never kill anyone, but I'd blow the dick off of any guy who tried to mess with me."
"Ouch," she chuckled, drying her cheeks with her shirt. "He found your card," she grabbed a tissue from the table beside of her and blew her nose.
"What?"
"He found your business card. The one you gave me. He found it in my wallet the night I came into the ER looking for you."
"What did he say?" Arizona sat back and listened to the woman.
"He wanted to know why I had it. I told him I must have picked it up somewhere by mistake, and then he accused me of sleeping with you," she scoffed. "If I had a nickel for every time he accused me of something like that I'd be a millionaire."
"I'm sorry. I never thought that he'd find it."
"Don't be, Arizona. If he hadn't found it that night I wouldn't have finally left him."
"What happened that night, Callie? April told me you had came into my ER looking for me, but didn't want to be checked," Arizona turned her body towards her. "Was that him? Did he do that to you?"
"Yes and no," the brunette twitched her shoulders. "I tried to get the card back, but he elbowed me in the face and that was it. I couldn't take it anymore. Enough was enough, you know."
"I do," the blonde reached over and squeezed the brunette's hand, giving her a comforting touch.
"There comes a point when you just can't take anymore, and I reached my limit that night. So I grabbed some of my clothes and told him I was leaving. He was yelling so I just took them without a suitcase and started down the hallway towards the steps. That's when I heard him yelling and running after me, so I hurried down the steps and tripped. That's when I must have hurt my shoulder. I tripped and fell right into the wall, it hurt like hell. He threw the card at me and told me to leave."
"So I did. I had a hundred bucks in my pocket and I took a cab to Seattle. I was so scared that he was following me, but I had to get out. I made the cab driver drive around for about twenty minutes to lose him in case he was on my trail before I told him to take me to the city. You were the only person I could think of, so I went to the hospital. I asked to see you, but they insisted I needed to be checked out. So I gave the name Calliope Torres. I knew he wouldn't search for me under that name, or at least I hoped he wouldn't."
"Calliope.. Torres?" Arizona questioned.
"Callie is short for Calliope. Torres is my maiden name."
"I was worried he would look, too," she admitted. "I kinda changed your name in the system as Jane Doe."
"You did?" Callie asked shocked.
"Yeah. I was scared he'd call or come in searching for you. I couldn't let that happen."
"You could get in trouble if anyone found out, Arizona."
"I know, but I couldn't let him find you."
"You risked your job to protect me."
"I did, and I'd do it again."
"Thank you."
"Stop thanking me. Seriously, quit. It's nothing."
"It's everything though, Arizona," Callie grabbed her hand. "If it wasn't for you, I'd still be living in hell."
"You're welcome," she said, turning her hand and squeezing the Latina's. "You have a beautiful name, Calliope," she said after a beat.
"Thanks," Callie whispered, looking down at the bottle beside her. "Can you just... call me Callie though? My dad was the only one who called me that and it's still hard to handle."
"Of course, Callie," the blonde rubbed her shoulder.
"I gave up everything for him..." She paused, looking up at the woman. "And now, I gave up everything to get away from him."
"It'll be worth it in the end," Arizona softly whispered.
"No," Callie shook her head. "It's already worth it," she sadly smiled up at the blonde. "It's time I take my life back."
"I'm glad," she smiled back at her. She couldn't believe how strong the brunette seemed since she had left her husband and frankly, she couldn't be more proud of her right now.
"Speaking of taking your life back. I think I've found you a job.. If you want it of course."
"Really?" She perked up at the thought of starting over again. "Where?"
"Yeah.. at my Nanny's bar. You just have to pass her test."
"Test?" She questioned, raising her brows.
"Oh yeah. It could be anything from just watching you make a drink to some off the wall stuff," Arizona giggled, as she stood up and searched for some food.
"There's some food in the oven for you," she said standing from the sofa. "What do you mean? What will she make me do?" The brunette laid the dog beside her and hurried to follow the blonde in the kitchen.
"Don't worry. I think you can pass," she said, grabbing the plate out of the oven. "Well... maybe," she shrugged, teasing the brunette.
Yay, Callie may have a job! That's a good start!
Will release again Friday, then back to our regular schedule on Monday!
29 days until Greys returns!
