Title: Miami General
Author: captstarbuck
Rating: M (language and later chapters)
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Disclaimers – All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual. (I don't own any of the characters from Grey's Anatomy. All of that belongs to Shondaland et al. I just wanted to take them out and play)
Summary: A/U. Callie Torres and Arizona Robbins are on the hit TV Series "Seattle Grace". What happens when the show ends?
Beta: As always, kudos to Stacy D'Lacy who did some serious pronoun patrolling on this chapter.
AN: For thos of you still reading this, thanks for hanging in there. Your reward is the longest chapter so far for the story.
Miami General – Chapter 13Barbara Robbins stepped back so her daughter could see herself in the mirror. Arizona smiled as she surveyed the job her mother had done on her hair. It had been pulled up and back and at first glance, looked casual, almost messy. On taking a closer look, the few strands of hair that were down framed her face perfectly, and the curls pulled back had been carefully placed.
"It looks great, Mom. Thank you." She reached out and took her mother's hand, squeezing it once.
It seemed like it had been forever since she'd had a moment like this with Arizona, Barbara thought. Since Arizona had started working on Seattle Grace, any time she'd gone out for some sort of public event, be it for the show or for Jack's business, her hair and makeup had always been professionally done. When Arizona had called after dinner and asked for her help with her hair, the older woman had been thrilled.
"I'm glad you like it."
"It's perfect."
"It's been a long time since we've done this."
"When was the last time?" Arizona asked, picking out several shades of eye shadow, trying to decide which would best match her dress.
"Oh, gosh, I'm not sure." Barbara paused for a moment. "Do you remember when I did your hair for your senior prom?"
Arizona thought back to that moment with a sad smile. She hadn't planned on going to her high school senior prom after she'd broken up with her boyfriend, but then Tim had shown up. He'd taken a few days of leave so he could escort his little sister to the dance. They'd hurriedly found a dress for her to wear and her mom had helped her with her hair and makeup. Because it had been last minute, Tim had no time for renting a tuxedo, so he'd worn his dress uniform. Arizona remembered how proud she'd been walking in on her brother's arm. She couldn't have had a better time with anyone else. No one else made her laugh like Tim, no one enjoyed life more than he had.
"Do you need help with that?" Barbara asked, nodding toward the makeup clutched in her daughter's hands.
"I… I guess I might," Arizona admitted.
"Where's your dress?"
"Hanging in the closet."
When Barbara entered the large walk-in closet, she not only saw the blue dress hanging on the door, she also saw the boxes on the floor and that the closet had been stripped of Jack's clothing. She now knew what Arizona had been doing all day – packing Jack's belongings. She sighed once, then took the dress down.
"You've been busy today," she commented, hanging the dress up on the bathroom door.
"Yeah, well, it needed to be done, preferably with the kids not around," Arizona replied as she finished putting eyeliner on.
"Rough day?"
Arizona nodded, not wanting to talk about it. It had been hard enough to come home from work the night before to an empty house, but to not have her kids the next day was even worse. She missed them terribly. When they hadn't come in to wake her up like they always did on Saturday morning, the reality of her new life smacked her full in the face.
"It'll get better, honey," Barbara said, squeezing her daughter's shoulder.
"I know," she responded softly.
"In the meantime, we need to finish your makeup," the older woman said with false cheerfulness.
"Mom, can I ask you a question?"
"You just did," Barbara teased as she held the various shades of eye shadow next to the dress.
"Mom…" Arizona rolled her eyes at her mother's attempt at humor.
"Sorry, dear," she replied with a chuckle. "What did you want to ask?"
"Do you think it's too soon?"
"Too soon for what?" Barbara asked, handing the eye shadow she thought best matched the dress to Arizona.
"For me to go out… without Jack."
"Too soon? I don't see why," she answered. "You're just going out with friends, right?"
"Yes, just friends," Arizona said quickly.
"Arizona, do you have a date?" her mother prodded as Arizona put on her eye shadow.
"No. No date," Arizona stuttered. "Teddy and Henry are picking me up and we're meeting a whole group of people from work. That's all it is."
"Mmmhmm," the older woman murmured, selecting a paler shade of lipstick for her daughter. She'd never liked it when Arizona wore the darker shades, and she was pretty sure Arizona only did because Jack liked it.
"What's that supposed to mean?" the younger woman said, glaring at her mother.
"I didn't say anything." She handed her daughter the lipstick. "Use this one."
"Right," she answered skeptically. "I could hear what you're not saying… "
"Arizona, it's okay with me if you have a date. God knows you could use some fun in your life. It's not like you're neglecting your kids by going out with someone tonight."
"For the last time, I don't have a date tonight," she huffed. "I wish you'd stop implying that I do."
"Okay, dear," she replied, her eyes twinkling. "It's just that I haven't seen you get all dressed up like this to go out in a long time." Left unsaid was 'except for when you were with Jack'.
"I just wanted to do something fun for me," Arizona explained. "It's a new nightclub and the media will be covering it. Everyone else will be dressed up, too."
"Well you're certainly entitled to have a good time." She stood behind Arizona and fussed with a few stray hairs that were just a little out of place. "That color makes your eyes look so pretty," she complimented her daughter when she'd finished with her makeup. "And with the color of that dress, they'll really stand out."
Arizona instantly remembered Callie telling her how pretty her eyes looked shortly after they'd started to work together. She knew that had been one of the reasons why she'd bought the dress that she had. She thought the dress made her eyes look fantastic, and she hoped Callie would notice them tonight.
"You're blushing," Barbara said as she looked at Arizona's reflection in the mirror.
"Guess I'm not used to compliments," she said, hoping her explanation didn't sound too feeble.
"You're a beautiful woman, Arizona, inside and out, and don't you forget it."
Arizona's cheeks turned a darker shade of red. "Thanks, Mom."
"What time are Teddy and Henry picking you up?"
"Nine thirty. Why? What time is it?"
"Nine o'clock."
"Shit… I mean, shoot," Arizona said, standing up. "I need to get dressed."
"Well, hurry along dear."
"I will. Thanks for your help, Mom."
"Anytime, honey. All you have to do is ask."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
As they had arranged the night before, Callie went over to Addison's late Saturday afternoon and would be staying the whole weekend. She was beyond happy to be working with Addison again. Ever since Addison had left Seattle Grace for her own series, the times they were together were few and far between; certainly not as often as either of them desired. Although Mark was one of her best friends, and Callie knew he and Lexie would do anything for her, sometimes she really needed Addison's no nonsense advice.
After a light supper and a large glass of wine, the two women went upstairs to change for their night out. It didn't take Addison nearly as long as Callie, so she went downstairs and poured them both another glass of wine. Addison was sitting on the sofa (wearing a 'little black dress' that complimented her long legs and arms) when her friend walked into the room. Addison almost whistled when she saw the Latina wearing a strapless red dress that showed plenty of cleavage and legs. She wondered, but didn't ask, if Callie was hoping to impress a certain blonde co-worker.
"Nice dress, Callie," she said, handling Callie a glass of wine.
"Thanks. It's new."
"I see you've got the 'girls' out on display tonight," Addison added with a smirk as they waited for Mark and Lexie.
"What?" Callie nearly spat out her drink. "What are you talking about?"
"Your cleavage, Cal. It's been awhile since you've displayed that much," Addison commented. "What's the occasion?"
"No occasion, and I'm not showing off my cleavage," she protested.
"Okay, if that's what you want to believe."
Callie glared at her friend, but before she could say anything, the doorbell rang.
Addison opened the door to Mark, who immediately gave them an exaggerated leer.
"Ladies," he said with a grin. "Don't you two look… "
"Be careful what you say, Mark," Callie warned as she followed Addison out the door and past Mark.
"I was going to say nice," he said, catching up with the two women. "I'm a happily married man, Cal. But if I wasn't… "
Callie smacked his arm. "Behave yourself."
"I always do."
"Where's Lexie?"
"In the car."
The driver was standing by the car, holding the door open for them.
"You get in first, Mark," Callie said. "I don't want you staring at our asses."
"Can't blame a guy for looking, Cal," he said as he obeyed her.
The tall man quickly seated himself beside his wife. Callie and Addison followed, slipping into the seat opposite the couple.
"Nice ride," Callie said, looking around the plush interior and fully stocked bar.
"Champagne?"
They both nodded as he poured them each a glass, then handed a glass of sparkling grape juice to his wife. The four of them spent the next few minutes chatting about Lexie's pregnancy and if they'd picked out names (still undecided). It wasn't until the second glass of the bubbly was downed that Mark changed the topic.
"So, Cal, how was it seeing the Wicked Witch of Hollywood again?"
"Erica, Mark. Her name is Erica."
"Fine. Erica. How was it?" he asked again, ignoring the angry look Addison was giving him.
"Fine," Callie replied curtly as she poured herself another glass of champagne. "I don't know what Wanda's thinking," she suddenly said as she took a big gulp. "I mean, is Erica going to be on the new show? Am I supposed to work with her again?"
"I wanted to slap the smirk right off her smug face," Addison said. "She's a real piece of work, chasing after Callie in the hallway."
"Really?" Mark's face perked up at the potential gossip that was about to be dished.
"Yeah. It's a good thing I'll have Addison around to keep the she-devil away from me the next few weeks."
"Well it's a given that Addison would have your back," Mark said.
"Oh, I had nothing to do with keeping her away yesterday. Someone else came to Callie's rescue," Addison teased.
"Who? Yang? I know she despises her."
Callie suddenly became shy and looked down at her glass. "No, not Yang. She wasn't there," she mumbled.
"Callie, who scared the bitch away?" Mark's curiosity was piqued even further.
"Arizona," Addison answered when she realized Callie wasn't going to reply.
"Robbins? I didn't think she was tough enough to do that. What happened?"
"Nothing," Callie said nervously.
"Oh, she was great, Mark," Addison explained. "She walked right up to Callie and pretended to be her girlfriend. I wish I had a camera. Even from down the hall, the look on Erica's face was priceless."
"Huh," Mark said. "That surprises me, but, way to go Blondie."
Lexie sensed Callie's discomfort with the conversation and blurted out, "You'll never guess what my fool husband has done now."
"Lexie…"
"What did he do this time?" Addison inquired, tossing a grateful smile to the younger woman for changing the topic.
"He's joined a SerJen online group."
"What?"
"I just wanted to see what the pulse of fandom is," he explained. "But they're a tough bunch. The first time I tried to join, they told me my 'name' was offensive and disrespectful."
"What did you use?" Addison asked warily.
"LoveMeSomeCalzona," he said with a smirk.
"MARK!" Addison exclaimed.
"What?"
"You cannot use the names of real people. That's just so wrong," Addison said sternly.
Lexie nodded her agreement. Callie was too horrified at the implications of her own name being combined with Arizona's that she couldn't even speak.
"I'm surprised the moderators didn't track you down," Addison said. "That is such a major breach of online etiquette."
Mouths agape, Mark, Lexie and Callie all stared at Addison.
"How do you know so much about this kind of stuff, Addison?" Mark asked.
"My agent has an assistant who monitors online communities and twitters." Addison looked at her friends. "It'd be a good idea if you had someone do that for you, or at least check it out yourself." She took a sip from her glass. "So what happened when they smacked you around for that terrible online name, Mark?"
"I ended up deleting that account and joining under another name."
"Which was?"
"Hot4SerJen," he grinned.
Lexie rolled her eyes. "He's just logging on to stir up trouble."
"Mark, you leave those poor fans alone," Addison said, her tone mildly threatening.
"Don't you want to know what they're saying about you, Cal?"
"Not really, no."
"Sure you do," he teased. "And let me tell you, they're saying A LOT about you two."
"Mark, is that really an appropriate thing to do?" Addison chastised him.
"Why not? It's fun." He finished off his champagne. "And it's so informative."
"I'll bet it is," Callie muttered. "And how many spoilers have you leaked to them?"
"Nothing. He posts just to rile them up. He's provoking them on purpose," Lexie said.
"Like what?"
"Oh, posting things like 'stick a fork in SerJen, they're done', that Jenna doesn't love Sera, that Sera should 'kick Jenna to the curb'," Lexie recited, her eidetic memory recalling the last three posts Mark had made. "That last one, they jumped all over him for being insensitive."
"Can't you find something else to do with your time?" Callie said with a sigh.
"Well, starting this summer, I've got myself a new series," he announced.
"What? Mark, that's great!" Callie said, somehow managing to find a way to hug him.
"What show?" Addison asked.
"It's a new cable series called 'Anchors Away'. I'm the captain of a submarine and it takes place at the start of World War II."
"That's fantastic. When do you start?"
"We start shooting in July."
"So we've got a lot to celebrate tonight," Callie said, pouring more champagne for the three of them, then another glass of sparkling grape juice for Lexie. "To success on our new shows!" she toasted.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Arizona, walking beside Teddy and Henry, passed through a small gauntlet of the media. She knew it was part of being a celebrity (though she was only a minor one), but she still hated it. Even though she knew they were integral to her career, she still found them intrusive and annoying. Spotting the few fans who somehow had found out that the cast of Seattle Grace was attending the opening, she gave them a small wave and a shy smile. Having fans still embarrassed her but she knew without them she wouldn't have a job.
Once inside, Arizona felt like she'd been time warped back ten years. The flashing lights, loud music and large crowd made her feel like she was re-living her single girl days with Teddy. It had been a much simpler life back then. She and Teddy would go 'clubbing' it seemed like almost every weekend, spending their time dancing and getting men (and not just a few women) to buy them drinks.
Teddy stopped and grabbed Arizona's arm. "Takes you back, doesn't it?" she said with a knowing grin.
"I was thinking the same thing," Arizona replied. She looked past Teddy's shoulder and saw Mark gesturing with his arms. "Oh, there's Mark," she commented. "He's either waving at us or having a seizure," she said with a small giggle.
Teddy turned around and saw Mark approaching them. She tapped her husband on the arm and pointed. Henry nodded and began to lead the two women toward Mark.
"Glad you made it," Mark said, greeting Henry with a handshake and then kissed both Teddy and Arizona on their cheeks. "We have a couple of tables up there," he said, pointing out a section by one of the bars that overlooked the dance floor.
Teddy took Henry's arm as he led her toward their group of friends. Mark, with exaggerated gallantry, held out his arm to escort Arizona. She grinned and allowed him to guide her across the crowded club. Unlike their characters on Seattle Grace, she and Mark actually got along fairly well. She was sure part of it was because her daughter and his son were born weeks apart.
The first thing that Arizona noticed when she reached their tables was an obviously pregnant Lexie Grey-Sloan. Arizona remembered Callie saying something about her former co-worker expecting again, but it had slipped her mind when all of her personal issues came rushing to the forefront. She'd missed Lexie this past year. She'd enjoyed working with her, and she thought her to be one of the sweetest people she knew.
"Lexie," she said, hugging the younger woman.
"Arizona." Lexie returned the hug and added a warm smile.
Arizona took a step back. "Look at you! I had no idea you were this far along."
"Six months, give or take a week," Mark replied, slipping an arm around his wife's waist.
"Do you know what you're having?"
"A girl."
"Oh, that's great," Arizona said, hugging her once more. "You're going to love having a little girl."
"I am, but Mark is already threatening to make reservations in a convent for her thirteenth birthday," Lexie said, a mock glare on her face.
"I've got to protect my daughter from people like me." He corrected himself. "From guys like I used to be."
"I understand, Mark," Arizona said, patting his arm. "My mom said my dad wanted to enroll me in a military school when I was born," she laughed.
Mark laughed along with Arizona. "Remind me to get the names of those places from your dad sometime."
"Not on your life." Arizona took the drink from Henry that suddenly appeared before her. "A convent would be better than military school."
As Arizona made the rounds of talking to her co-workers and their significant others, she kept an eye out for Callie, who she still hadn't seen yet. It wasn't until she was halfway through her second gin and tonic that she spotted Callie on the dance floor with Addison. Arizona stopped sipping through the straw, her mouth dropping open. Callie Torres dancing was the definition of sexy. The Latina was clearly in her element, her hips and body swaying with the music in a carefree, yet sensuous manner. Arizona couldn't help but stare, her eyes never leaving Callie.
Teddy noticed her friend had stopped talking and was fixated on someone on the dance floor. She followed Arizona's gaze and saw Callie dancing. Sidling up to Arizona, she handed her a cocktail napkin.
"Here. Wipe your chin."
"What? Why? Did I spill something?" Arizona asked as she dabbed at her chin with the small napkin.
"You're drooling," Teddy said with a straight face.
It took a moment for Arizona to realize what Teddy had said. "Teddy!" she said as she wadded up the napkin and threw it at her friend. "I am NOT drooling."
"Maybe not drooling," Teddy conceded, "but you are staring." She leaned in a little closer and said in a quieter voice,"Staring at Callie."
"No I'm not," she said quickly, her cheeks turning pink.
"You are, Arizona, and it's okay."
"It's her dress," Arizona said. "It's really pretty," she said lamely.
Teddy wanted to roll her eyes in frustration. Her best friend's denials were beginning to drive her crazy. She was clearly attracted to Callie and Teddy couldn't understand why Arizona wouldn't admit it to herself.
"I think it's more than the dress. I think you're interested in what's filling out the dress," Teddy stated, ignoring the look Arizona was shooting at her. "And you know what, Arizona? I think I'm done talking about it with you. If you can't even be honest about your feelings with me, your best friend, then I give up."
Teddy hoped that a little 'tough love' would work. She'd get Arizona to talk eventually. Maybe not right now, but soon. The slender woman tossed back the last of her drink and walked away from Arizona.
Arizona took one more look at Callie and Addison then reluctantly turned away from the dance floor. She was embarrassed at having been caught ogling the Latina, but she was more confused that she had been enjoying the view. She wasn't 'into women'. Not really, was she? Was she just attracted to Callie? Arizona's confusion about her feelings for Callie rattled her, and she didn't like feeling rattled.
She finished her drink and immediately went to the bar for another. She quickly sucked it down, then decided she needed to dance. Yes, dancing would be fun and she could forget about Callie, as long as she stayed away from the Latina. After checking first with Lexie, Arizona dragged Mark out onto the dance floor. Arizona knew she wasn't much of a dancer, but Mark was even worse than she, so she didn't feel embarrassed by her lack of skill.
Callie had seen Arizona the moment she'd walked across the club with Mark. She kept dancing with Addison, hardly ever taking her gaze off the blonde. Addison couldn't help but notice Callie tracking Arizona with her eyes, but decided that the dance floor really wasn't the place to talk about it.
"Let's get a drink," Addison said, her voice loud so she could be heard over the music.
Callie tore her eyes away from the blonde and nodded. The two women maneuvered their way through the crowd on the dance floor, stopping to greet a few friends along the way. As they made their way up the steps to the next level where the rest of their group was sitting they passed Arizona and Mark on their way down.
"Hi, Callie, Addison," Arizona said. She tried not to stare at Callie's cleavage, but failed. The Latina was a few steps below her and of course her eyes would drift there.
Addison chuckled from behind Callie. She watched Arizona get flustered as she tried to look away from Callie.
"Have fun. Try not to break any toes," Callie advised. "Mark's a horrible dancer."
"Hey! I'm not that bad," Mark protested.
"Are too," Callie shot back.
"Catch you later," Arizona called back over her shoulder, grateful that she no longer was confronted with the image of the Latina's cleavage.
Callie turned on the steps and watched the mismatched pair head for the dance floor. She took an involuntary gasp when she saw Arizona's bare back.
"Close your mouth," Addison teased as she pushed Callie onward.
"What?"
"C'mon, I need a drink, and I know you do, too."
Arizona danced with Mark for several songs, grabbed another drink, then pulled Alex out onto the dance floor. She repeated the process, having a drink before switching partners. She even managed to get Derek to dance with her, much to his wife's amusement. When she ran out of male dance partners, she dragged Teddy down out to the dance floor.
After three or four songs, the two women headed back to their friends. Teddy flopped down beside her husband.
"Your turn to get the drinks, Arizona," Teddy said.
"Your usual?" Arizona asked. Teddy nodded. "Anything for you, Henry?"
"I'm all set," he answered, holding up his nearly full glass of club soda. It was his turn to be the designated driver.
"I'll be right back," Arizona said.
Arizona waited until the crowd around the bar thinned before wedging herself between Mark and Cristina. As she waited for the bartender, Mark slid a shot of tequila in front of her.
"This is for you," Mark said. "I heard you chased off Hahn yesterday."
"Oh, it was nothing," Arizona said, dismissing him with a clumsy wave of her hand.
"No, really. Thank you," he said sincerely.
"Wait, did I just hear that right?" Cristina interrupted from her bar stool. "You actually faced off against the wicked witch of Hollywood? What happened?"
Mark leaned in front of Arizona to talk to Cristina. "Hahn was bothering Callie and Blondie here came to her rescue."
"Guys, I'm right here," Arizona said, mildly irritated that they were talking around her.
"Good for you, Robbins. That calls for a drink." Cristina thrust another shot of tequila into Arizona's hand. "Drink up."
"Oh, no, I shouldn't be doing shots," Arizona said, trying to gracefully back away.
"No, you have to drink." Cristina leaned in. "I don't buy drinks for just anyone, Robbins. To refuse would be an insult."
"Well, I wouldn't want to be rude," Arizona said with a tipsy smile. She quickly tossed down the shot of tequila.
"And you can't be rude by refusing mine," Mark said, handing her the shot that had been sitting untouched on the bar.
"Can't have that," Arizona said, downing the second shot.
"You drank those like a pro," Cristina said, impressed that Arizona had thrown down two shots without blinking an eye.
"Yeah, well, I'm sure I'll be sorry tomorrow," she said with a shrug then ordered her drinks when the bartender appeared. "You two need to go back to the tables and not stand here and drink."
"Why?"
"Because your wife, Mark, your pregnant wife was looking for you."
Mark guiltily set his empty glass down and immediately left to rejoin his wife.
"'Why should I?" Cristina asked, draining another shot of tequila.
"Because I asked you," Arizona said.
"That's not a good enough reason."
"I'll buy you a drink, Cristina."
"Are you trying to bribe me?"
"Maybe."
"Because I can be bribed."
"Good." Arizona gestured to the bartender. "And two shots of tequila," Arizona requested, adding to her drink order.
"You're all right, Robbins," Cristina said, picking up the shots as she got off her barstool and followed the blonde.
"Hey guys, whatcha talking about?" Arizona asked, setting the drinks down in front of Teddy and Henry.
"Oh, the nicknames the fans have given us. We think your characters have the best name."
"SerJen is pretty clever," Arizona agreed, nodding her head before sipping her drink. She looked at Teddy and Addison who were seated next to each other. "They should have your characters hook up just once on the show," Arizona said suddenly, a drunken grin on her face. "Katherine and Kit." Her eyes widened as she realized what she'd said. "KitKat," she laughed, pleased with her own wit. "It's like a candy bar. Eat it once and forget about it," she snorted and giggled at the same time.
Teddy's mouth dropped open before a loud "Arizona!" popped out of her mouth. The others around the table laughed.
"Good one, Robbins," Cristina said, lifting her glass to toast her. "There's hope for you yet."
"C'mon, Teds. That's the best name yet. Even better than SerJen."
"That's just wrong on so many levels, Arizona," Teddy said, shaking her head.
Arizona set her drink down on the table. "C'mon, Owen, let's dance."
"Who, me?" the startled red haired man asked.
"Yes, you. You're the only one I haven't danced with."
"I don't dance," he stated.
"That's no excuse," Arizona said, tugging on his arm.
"Oh, go on, Owen," Cristina laughed. "Show her why you don't dance."
"Fine."
He allowed Arizona to lead him down the stairs and onto the dance floor.
After waiting a few minutes, Callie casually sauntered over to the railing so she could look down at the crowd. She now understood Cristina's remarks about Owen's dancing ability – or rather his inability to dance. Arizona wasn't much better, but at least she had some sense of rhythm. The blonde was also having a good time, was enjoying herself. Callie thought she was getting a glimpse at what Arizona was like when she was younger.
She sensed someone approaching her and when she turned her head, she saw that Cristina had joined her.
"That's just awful," Cristina commented. "Really, really awful."
"Yeah, they're pretty bad," Callie agreed with a laugh.
"She's 'mom dancing', Callie," Cristina whined after observing the pair for several minutes. "Make it stop."
"Me? Why me?" Callie was hesitant to interrupt Arizona's dancing. The blonde seemed to be having a good time, despite her lack of dancing skills.
"Because you're the best dancer here, and she clearly needs help."
"What about Owen? He's worse."
"Owen's a lost cause," Cristina scoffed. "But Robbins… the 'mom dancing', it's painful to watch." Cristina clutched Callie's arm. "Please, Cal, I'm begging you. Make it stop," she repeated.
"Fine, whatever," she said heading for the dance floor.
"And send Owen back to me," Cristina called after her.
Callie shook her head and laughed as she neared the couple. She danced as she made her way through the crowd, ending up behind Arizona and facing Owen. She gestured with her eyes to Owen, indicating that he could leave. He mouthed his thanks, and as he began to move away, Callie put her hands on Arizona's hips. The blonde spun around, her eyes wide with surprise.
"Calliope," she said with a smile. "What are you doing here?"
"I've been… Wait, did you just call me 'Calliope'?" Callie asked. Her hands reluctantly dropped from Arizona's hips.
"Yes." Arizona grinned as she continued to dance. "It's a beautiful name for a beautiful lady."
"Um, right…" Callie was shocked by Arizona's words. "Anyway, I've been drafted to help you dance."
"I know how to dance," Arizona protested with a small pout as she started another dance step.
"You're 'mom dancing', Arizona."
"Well, I am a mom," she said, her body gyrating with little coordination.
Callie couldn't tell if Arizona was dancing the "Dougie" or what she was doing. For a moment she even thought the blonde was doing the "Sprinkler".
"You're not supposed to 'mom dance' until your kids are old enough to be embarrassed by it," Callie explained.
"So what are you going to do about?" Arizona challenged her with a flirtatious tone in her voice.
"I'm going to teach you how to dance like an adult," Callie smirked back at her. "Turn around."
"What?"
"Turn around," she repeated.
With a confused smile, Arizona turned her back to her new dance partner. Callie stepped closer and put her hands back on Arizona's hips.
"Now move with me," she said. "Match my movements." She began to guide Arizona's hips to the beat. "Listen to the beat, feel it," she said huskily into the shorter women's ear.
Arizona shivered at Callie's voice. She awkwardly tried to follow Callie's instructions, but her own nervousness at being so close to Callie ended up with her stepping on the Latina's foot.
"I'm sorry," she apologized, her face reddening.
"Relax," Callie breathed against Arizona's neck, inhaling her delicate perfume. "Just relax."
Standing behind Arizona, with her hands on the blonde's hips, Callie remembered the time they'd danced together while shooting a scene. It had been when their characters had just started to date. Arizona hadn't done much then of what Callie would've called dancing. The blonde had thrown her hands up and hopped around while Callie had danced around her. Callie realized that it had been the moment she'd started to fall for her. Arizona hadn't cared what she looked like or how she was dancing. She'd just lost herself in the music and enjoyed the moment.
"Do you remember our first dance?" Callie asked, leaning closer.
Arizona turned her head and looked up at Callie. "The one that was our – SerJen's – first date?"
Callie nodded, pulling Arizona a little closer.
"Yes. I think that's my favorite scene of all the ones we've done," she said with a smile.
"It's one of mine, too," Callie agreed.
Arizona finally felt a little more at ease as she moved her hips along with Callie, but she didn't know what to do with her hands. It felt awkward to just have them dangle at her sides. Taking a chance that she wouldn't offend Callie, she quickly placed her hands over the darker skinned hands currently on her hips and pulled Callie a little closer. She couldn't be sure (the music was so loud) but she thought she heard Callie groan.
"Arizona…" Callie whispered against her neck, causing goose bumps to pop up on the blonde's arms.
"Keep dancing," Arizona said in response. "Just keep dancing."
Callie knew she was at the point of the proverbial 'playing with fire', but she couldn't help herself. Arizona's body pressed back against her own felt too good. The blonde's body moving rhythmically with her own was creating a temptation that was becoming unbearable.
Arizona was just drunk enough to relax and enjoy the feeling of being in Callie's arms. She pulled Callie's hands from her hips and placed them on her stomach, then slowly pushed back against the body behind her. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to just feel their bodies move in sync with one another.
"Arizona?" Callie asked, her lips close to the blonde's ear.
"Mmmm?"
"Go out with me," Callie whispered, placing a quick kiss on Arizona's neck.
As soon as Callie said the words, she regretted it. She could feel Arizona's body stiffen before the blonde turned around and backed up. Blue eyes widened in what Callie assumed to be shock and disgust.
"I'm sorry, Arizona… I shouldn't have… I mean…" Callie stammered her apology. "Oh, God, I am so sorry."
Without even waiting for Arizona's response, Callie, too, backed away, then fled the dance floor. She headed for the back of the nightclub, thinking she could find a back exit where she could get some fresh air. She cursed at herself over and over again for having spoiled a moment with her big mouth.
Arizona had been too shocked to speak or move at first, but once she saw the complete look of devastation on Callie's face, she snapped out of it. She quickly pushed a trail through the crowd and followed the Latina, ending up in darkened hallway.
"Callie?" she asked.
"I thought this led to an exit," Callie said with a mild stutter, not able to look at Arizona. "I thought I could go outside and… and… "
"What? Ditch the party? Run away from me?" Arizona asked, stepping in front of Callie.
"No! No, of course not. I needed some fresh air and some privacy," Callie replied.
"Do you want me to leave?" Arizona asked, taking a step closer. "I will, but I'd rather stay."
Callie couldn't answer, didn't dare answer. What she really wanted was to take Arizona in her arms and kiss her like there was no tomorrow. Putting her own desires aside, she continued to stare at the blonde. She wasn't sure if it was the dim light in the hallway, but Arizona's blue eyes suddenly seemed darker and Callie was drawn into them even further.
Callie held her breath as Arizona took another step, the blonde stopping when she was barely a foot away. The Latina could no longer hear the music. All she could feel was the sound of her own heart pounding in her chest.
"Calliope," Arizona breathed her face now inches from Callie.
"Arizona…" she husked.
Callie could feel herself slowly losing her battle to maintain control. She knew she was going to give in and kiss Arizona.
"Arizona, please…" she pleaded, not sure if she was begging her to stay or go.
Without warning, the decision was made for Callie as was pushed back against the wall and Arizona's lips covered hers. Callie was so stunned at first she hardly reacted, but when she did, she instinctively tangled her hands in blonde locks and returned the kiss with everything she had.