Note: This isn't serious. Blah, blah, blah... I don't know anything about anything. I google and pretend. Please don't double check my facts or science as you'll be disappointed by it's inaccuracy. Coconuts.
Meredith and Cristina sat in front of Callie's drying coffee on two deck chairs salvaged from the Minnow. They sipped their mango wine, protected the beans from the mischievous monkey, and gossiped about the other castaways.
"They are just so cute together," Meredith said.
"Don't tell anyone," Cristina replied, "but I agree."
"I think it's the grooming," Meredith continued, "It makes my ovaries want to explode."
"You lost me."
"It gives me a warm feeling," Meredith explained. "It makes me want to be a mother."
"I… don't really see it…" Cristina slowly replied. Her face scrunched in confusion.
"You don't want kids?" Meredith took a long pull from her coconut full of wine.
"Have you met me?"
"Right," Meredith thought back to their college days. "You hate kids."
"Now that's a lie," Cristina defended. "I don't hate them. They're just… snotty, germ infested, puke and poop factories that rely on you for everything. It seems exhausting and time consuming and…"
"Rewarding and fulfilling," Meredith added.
"So why don't you and Derek have any?"
"Hostile uterus," Meredith sighed.
"Oh… I'm sorry, Mer," Cristina sincerely apologized. She patted her friend on the shoulder, "but… I still don't see how the lesbians make you want to be a mom."
"The lesbians?" Meredith asked. "What are you talking about?"
"You said they were cute together… with the grooming…"
"I was talking about Derek and Bilbo!"
"Oh…" Cristina clued in, "that makes a little bit more sense, but… is still kind of ridiculous… Derek grooming a monkey makes you baby crazy?"
"Of course not!" Meredith denied. "It's um… the monkey grooming Derek that makes me have a slightly elevated baby yearning. But… it's nothing this wine and my hostile uterus won't cure."
"To hostile uteruses," Cristina toasted. They tapped their coconut cups together.
On the other side of the camp Derek and Owen were enjoying some male bonding. Derek sat poking a long stick into the fire, Bilbo on his back running his tiny monkey paws through his hair. Owen whittled at a small chunk of wood with his very dangerous looking military survival knife.
Derek stopped stoking the fire for a second and said, "It's a nice night."
Owen looked up from his cutting and replied, "Yep."
Derek resumed his fire poking, Owen carried on carving his wood, and Bilbo groomed.
At the table in the center of the clearing, the two gingers and Alex were playing rummy. Callie had several decks of cards on the Minnow and the bored castaways had been making use of them.
"What do you think they are doing?" April asked. She drew a card from the stock, rearranged the cards in her hand, and discarded.
"Do you really want to know?" Addison inquired as she took her turn.
"Kind of," April replied. "I've haven't been on a whole lot of dates. I'm curious."
"Dude," Alex interjected, "they are totally doing it."
"No they aren't," April insisted, "it's their first date!"
"Don't be so naïve," Alex replied. He scowled at this hand and discarded without making a play.
"He's right, Apes," Addison agreed. "Why do you think we left the blanket?"
"Yeah," Alex said, a bit surprised that someone saw things the same way as him. "What do you think they are doing? Walking 'round, holding hands… sharing a soda pop? Is that what you do back on the farm?" He ribbed.
April drew her card, smiled at Alex, "No, we don't hold hands and drink soda pop back on the farm, but we do know how to kick-ass at rummy." She played all of her points, discarding her last card. "Rummy," She smiled.
Alex threw his cards on the table in frustration. Addison just gathered them up to deal again.
Callie and Arizona walked along the edge of the water in the lagoon holding hands and sharing the last cup of mango wine.
After their make-out session on the blanket in which Arizona had started to get a little handsy, Callie informed her that she was a firm believer in the three date rule. Arizona growled a bit in frustration, but had contented herself with a few more kisses, before they embarked on their walk.
"Tell me about woman on the dock," Callie broke the easy silence they had fallen into for their moonlight walk.
"Ugh, you really want to hear about her on our date?"
"You just seemed so… not happy to see her," Callie said. "And to be totally honest with you, she said some things that were kind of… off-putting."
"Things about me?" Arizona stopped walking and fumed. "That bitch. I can't believe Lauren Boswell would…"
"No, no, Arizona, stop… calm down," Callie interrupted. "It wasn't anything off-putting about you… what offended me was how she talked about you, as if you were a prize. She offered me money to let her on the boat."
"I don't even know how to respond to that… other than to thank you again for not letting her on the yacht." Just like that day, 44 days ago, when she first thanked Captain Torres for rescuing her from Lauren Boswell's unwanted attention, Arizona leaned in and pecked her on the lips… But this time, the peck turned into a little something more.
"Mmm," Arizona sighed when she finally pulled away. "I could definitely get used to that."
"Me too," Callie ran her thumb over Arizona's bottom lip. "So, Professor Robbins…. she was just, what… stalking you?"
"No. We were working together… had been for a few months. It was on a project for the Presidential Initiative on Green Technology," Arizona sighed. "And don't get me wrong, she's brilliant… and driven… and she's not unattractive, but she's also pushy, and arrogant, and downright rude. She had no boundaries, professionally, or personally. She also likes to take credit for ideas that weren't hers. Our collaboration had just come to an end. I didn't need her anymore, especially with picking up April as my research assistant. Now that I'm 'dead' she's probably suing my family for all of my patents."
"I'm sorry."
"Nah, don't be," Arizona laughed. "My dad is a retired Marine Colonel, he won't be intimidated. He may not understand what I do, but he knows enough to get someone who does. He won't let her take credit for anything that wasn't hers."
"It's good that you have a family that has your back," Callie said. "That looks after you, even when you are… gone." Callie swallowed hard and looked away.
"Hey, don't," Arizona gently touched the brunette's cheek to bring her face back toward her. "I'm sure your family…"
"Doesn't even care that I'm gone," Callie interrupted. She looked thoughtful for a moment, "No, no… I'm wrong. I bet Aria does…"
"Your sister? She misses you, right?"
"Misses my monthly payment on the yacht."
"Callie," Arizona gently cautioned. "Don't think like that. It won't… help."
"You're right," Callie gave a defeated chuckle, "she probably has the insurance check by now. Much better than the monthly payment." Callie felt herself getting angry and she didn't like it. "No… you know what? I'm not letting her ruin my night. I'm on a date. A date with a hot, hot, teacher. Holding hands, under a beautiful night sky with a waxing moon. Let's… talk about something less disheartening."
"Like?"
"Um," Callie thought for a second. "I don't think you've ever told me what college you are affiliated with?" she asked.
"Ah… well… I teach at Cornell. In the Applied and Engineering Physics department."
"Impressive."
"I like to think so." Arizona teased. "What about you? What did you study in college?"
"Oh, I went for a practical degree," Callie chuckled. "Anthropology at Stanford, it's where I first met Cristina."
"Anthropology is a very respectable area of study, Calliope. Not everything needs to be 'practical'. Wait… I thought Cristina went to college with Meredith… premed? How did she end up a meteorologist?"
"All I know is something turned her off of medicine," Callie answered. "She was just starting grad school when we met. We shared an apartment. Dorms weren't for me. My friend Mark lived across the hall from us, it's how we became friends. Sometimes I miss old apartment 502," she sighed.
They kept walking along the water until they reached the tree line, where they turned and headed back. They talked of Callie's time at college and how her and Mark had formed their bond. They eventually made their way back in the direction of torches that were still burning by their blanket. Their hands clasp tight between them.
Mark had made a deal, by means of Carlos Torres' money, with a shipping company that ran cargo from the Caribbean to the West African coast. They would be allowed to accompany them on various cross Atlantic trips, and to be able to run search and rescue operations via a helicopter from the ship. Carlos' contacts within Avery Aviation had also provided them with unlimited use of a chopper and a pilot.
While the pilot was off running through his safety checklist, Mark and Lexie stood on the bow of the large freight ship.
Lexie was becoming impatient. "When is she going to be here, Mark? We are about to leave."
"I don't have any idea, Lex. You know as much as I do." Mark said.
"Tell me again what she said when she called?"
"She, just asked if she could join in our search," Mark explained again. "The line was breaking up… I don't why or who she's searching for."
"There!" Lexie pointed, a thin sandy blonde woman, with green eyes, came running down the dock dragging a suitcase behind her. "Hold the ship, hold the ship!"
She made her way up the ramp, out of breath. Just in time to meet up with the freight ship's captain as he strode up to Mark and Lexie.
"You barely made it, Miss," he said. "We are about to embark."
"I know, I'm so sorry," she replied. "I had some paperwork issues, but that's all taken care of now." She looked at the talk man with slightly greying hair, "You must be Mark Sloan?"
"You are correct, and this is Lexie Grey and Captain Ben Warren, who is graciously allowing us use of his ship. And… uh… our pilot is off doing… pilot stuff… I don't know where…"
"I'm sorry," Lexie interrupted. "Your call dropped before Mark could get your name, who exactly are you? And why do you want to go with us?"
"Oh! Right, I'm sorry… I'm Teddy Altman. It's nice to meet you all."
Callie and Arizona had almost made it back to their blanket, when Arizona asked, "Why the Peace Corps?"
"Oh, that's easy. I grew up privileged and I wanted to give something back."
"It's definitely very noble," Arizona said. "And noble is hot."
"My first tour maybe," Callie laughed. "My second tour, I was hiding."
"Interesting… elaborate, please."
"I was married."
"What?" Arizona stopped walking but Callie didn't, causing their arms to stretch out between them. Callie turned and walked back to the stunned blonde.
"I returned from my first tour fully intending on going to medical school. I met George in a MCAT prep course. I'd been away for two years, Mark was always busy… working for my father, and I just… was searching for something. I thought he was what I was looking for. We ran off to Vegas, got married by Elvis, and were divorced less than two months later. He cheated. With his best friend."
"That's horrible!" Arizona exclaimed.
"Yep, so I re-upped with the Peace Corps, this time motivated by my humiliation."
"Can I just say that this George person is stupid?" Arizona said. "A big dummy."
"Yeah, he was a big dummy."
"Is that the reason for your three date rule?" Arizona pulled Callie into her arms.
"Oh, um… kind of. My track record in love is less than stellar. I fall pretty quickly. I don't want to get hurt again," Callie admitted, "not that I think you will hurt me, but if we don't work out…. Well, let's just say, there may be a lot places to hide on this island, but it'd be awfully lonely."
"I would never hurt you," Arizona said sincerely.
Callie looked into those intense blue eyes and in that moment she knew. This woman was different, they were different. The circumstances of their start didn't matter. The future, what happened when and if they got off the island… didn't matter. All that mattered was right here, right now.
"I know," Callie replied. She brushed a piece of blonde hair aside and smiled, "But you still aren't getting any until the third date."
Arizona laughed and placed her hands on the other woman's shoulders. "You know… technically we could consider the hot springs our first date…"
"Oh no… that doesn't count," Callie said. "It only counts if one of us asks specifically for a 'date.'"
"Humph," Arizona grumbled, "you are making this difficult on purpose."
"I am," Callie conceded, "but only because the buildup is the best part. It makes it all that more… mind-blowing when the time comes."
"Well, when it happens… I can guarantee that time won't be the only one that comes…"
"Arizona!" Callie cut her off. "You… are naughty."
"I can't help it," She sighed. "I mean… look at you!"
"You aren't so bad yourself, you know," Callie said. "Maybe a little eager, though," she teased.
"I'm sorry… I'm not usually so 'grrr'… caveman like," Arizona smiled, "but… I can't stop thinking about you."
"The feeling is completely mutual," Callie said. "You know that, right? You've been consuming my thoughts for weeks. I feel it too." She pulled the professor in for another heated kiss and the earth moved. Literally. They pulled apart and looked at each other.
"Um…" Callie's brow furrowed in confusion. "Did you just feel that?"
The ground rumbled again. The two women held on to each other to keep from toppling over.
"Yeah, I definitely felt that."
"Was that an earthquake?" Callie asked. She looked around, her eyes wide with fear.
"I… I don't know…" Arizona swallow hard. "Maybe we should head back to the others, see if…" They were suddenly thrown to the ground as the island shook once more, this time with much more force. They landed with a thud, Arizona on top of Callie.
"Arizona…" Callie pleaded. "What is it?"
"I… I think the, uh, sleeping volcano just woke up."